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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812445">We Could Happen</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/idiotextraordinaire/pseuds/idiotextraordinaire'>idiotextraordinaire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Glee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Pet Sitting, Pet Sitting AU, Romance, brittana</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:53:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,947</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25812445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/idiotextraordinaire/pseuds/idiotextraordinaire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Brittana AU. Santana's not thrilled when her best friend asks her to cat-sit. That all changes when she meets the blonde in apartment 1812.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Santana Lopez &amp; Brittany S. Pierce, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>127</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Santana Lopez is not what you would call a "pet person".</p><p>Her experience with pets involved a goldfish when she was five, who didn't last till the end of the month, a pregnant hamster that gave birth, ate it's young and promptly died a few days later when she was eight and the neighbour's pitbull, who had a habit of standing with it's head over the fence and barking loudly as it jumped up and down, terrifying her every time she walked home from the bus stop.</p><p>There was also her cousin's cat, who managed to scratch up her furniture the weekend she agreed to cat-sit and the parrot her ex-girlfriend had that flew out of its cage and pooped on her favorite leather jacket, so yeah.</p><p>Santana didn't hate animals, but she did prefer that she not be in close proximity with them for extended periods of time. She much preferred the pictures of puppies and kittens that circulated on Instagram than actually having to be near one. It was perfect, all cute and no responsibility.</p><p>Which is why she almost strangled Quinn when her best friend informed her she was going to be leaving her cat in Santana's care for the foreseeable future.</p><p>"What do you mean your cat is going to be staying with me?"</p><p>"I'm being seconded to our London office," Quinn informs her. "They said six months, but it could be up to a year. I can't take Charlie with me."</p><p>"Why can't you leave him with someone else?"</p><p>"Sam and Kurt's buildings don't allow pets."</p><p>"What about Mercedes?"</p><p>"Mercedes is going on tour in a few weeks, she can't bring him."</p><p>"Yes, she can. It'll be like part of her act."</p><p>"Santana…"</p><p>"Leave him with your mom, then!"</p><p>"Santana, I'm not flying to Lima to drop him off at my mom's, when you're perfectly capable of taking care of Charlie."</p><p>"Look Q," Santana retorted. "If I wanted to take care of a cat, I would <em>buy </em>a cat. But I don't want one, so Charlie will just have to find somewhere else to stay."</p><p>"Come on."</p><p>"What happens if I bring a girl over? I can't just have this cat getting all up in my business while I'm trying to get my mack on!"</p><p>"He's a cat, not a child!"</p><p>"I don't have the space."</p><p>"You live in a two bedroom apartment! You have a room for your shoes!"</p><p>"Okay, first of all, it's one and a half bedrooms!" That was true, the real-estate agent had advertised it that way, which was perfect for Santana since a "half bedroom" provided a perfect excuse to never have houseguests. "And second, it's full, so there's nowhere for him to stay."</p><p>"He doesn't need his own room," Quinn rolled her eyes. "Your place is more than big enough."</p><p>"What about someone from your office? How about Ken doll? Or what's-her-face with the ugly shoes? It won't matter if he pees in them," Santana rattles off names.</p><p>"Santana, please don't make this difficult," Quinn sighed as Santana crossed her arms over her chest, indignantly. "Don't make me call it in," she says, almost warningly.</p><p>Santana narrows her eyes. "You wouldn't."</p><p>What Quinn was referring to was the favor that Santana agreed to let her call in, one time only, no questions asked.</p><p>Over the years, Santana had gotten pretty good at letting one-night-stands know that that was exactly what it was , a one night stand. It saved a lot of confusion and hurt and awkward conversations in the morning, but once in a while, even the best could slip up.</p><p>It was a few months ago when the morning after, it became obvious that Santana's latest one-night-stand intended for their relationship to become...well, a relationship, and Santana informing her that it wasn't going to become one didn't work either.</p><p>It became painfully clear to Santana that she'd taken home a crazy person and she called Quinn, who was on her way to a big meeting. Santana had pleaded with her that it would only take five minutes and that she'd owe her huge so her friend complied.</p><p>Fifteen minutes later, Quinn showed up at Santana's apartment to play the scorned girlfriend. She went on, screaming and crying about how Santana could do this to her after they were together for five years, how awful she was for cheating (on their anniversary no less) and even threw in an "I should have listened to my mother about you!" for good measure.</p><p>She really sold it. Santana was convinced Quinn was going to slap her across the face, when she heard the front door click shut behind her and Quinn turn off the waterworks.</p><p>"There, she's gone. Now move, I need to touch up my makeup before I go to my meeting," Quinn replied nonchalantly, strolling past Santana and into the bathroom.</p><p>Quinn was only five minutes late to her meeting, but Santana had to keep her promise and officially owed Quinn one favour that she was allowed to call in at any time.</p><p>Apparently, this was it.</p><p>"You're calling in the favour over your cat?"</p><p>"Apparently, I have to," Quinn rolled her eyes and let out a sigh, before the corners of her mouth turned up in a smirk. "Which means that you really can't say no."</p><p>Santana really wanted to slap that stupid smirk off her best friend's face. But alas, a deal was a deal and she'd sealed her fate on that morning many months ago when she took home that crazy (though admittedly hot) girl who really took that U-haul stereotype to heart.</p><p>Live and learn, she figured.</p><p>And that was how Santana Lopez ended up as guardian to the calico, Charlie.</p><p>"I expect him to be in the same condition when I come back," Quinn warned her, on the day he was dropped off before his human departed for London.</p><p>"No promises, Q," Santana rolled her eyes.</p><p>"I'll call to check in."</p><p>"I'm an adult, I'll be fine without you."</p><p>"I meant on him."</p><p>"When did you turn into a crazy cat lady?" Santana cracked.</p><p>Quinn's little goodbye with her cat stretched out to twenty minutes, not including the two- hour-long orientation she gave Santana about vet appointments, shots, food, litter boxes, his pet carrier and everything in between.</p><p>When the front food shut, signalling Quinn's exit, Santana looked down at Charlie, who in turn just stared up at her and meowed.</p><p>"Ok listen, we need to get one thing clear, now that your crazy mom isn't here to save you," Santana dropped down so she was closer to eye-level with the cat. "I'll do all the vet appointments and the cat food and even emptying out your nasty-ass litter-box, but if you ever pee in one of my shoes, you are <em>done </em>here," she said in a low growl.</p><p>Charlie meowed again and licked his paw. Santana decided to take that as an understanding.</p>
<hr/><p>Charlie is actually not bad. Santana won't go as far as to say she enjoys having him around, but she doesn't hate it.</p><p>He walked around the apartment like he owned the place and climbed up on the furniture, but all things considered he was pretty good. He went in his litter box and knew his feeding routine.</p><p>During the first week, Santana came home from work to find the legs of her coffee table totally scratched up. She brought out the eyesore that was his bright blue scratching post on full display in her living room so that he could use it instead, but Quinn informed her that Charlie was probably just getting antsy from being alone in the apartment all week.</p><p>Santana installed a kitty door so that he'd be free to roam about the apartment complex during the day and come home when he needed and leave her damn stuff alone. Since then, he seemed calmer when he was indoors and would take to lying on the couch next to her when she was watching TV.</p><p>So yeah. Santana figured having Charlie around wasn't the worst thing in the world.</p><p>She could, however, do without Quinn's constant need for updates on her cat. Based on her social media posts, Quinn was having the time of her life in London, meeting new people and going to new places.</p><p>However, based on her messages to Santana - it seemed less like she was a socially active woman in her twenties living it up, and more like she was a fifty year old cat-mom missing her cat-child, with nothing else to do.</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: Did you feed him today?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: He likes the chicken flavour.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: Is he getting enough exercise?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: Can you send me pics of him?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: You're giving him baths regularly, right Satan?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: If anything seems wrong TAKE HIM TO THE VET</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Quinn]: How is he today?</em>
</p><p>Santana got so tired of the messages that eventually she started trolling Quinn so that the blonde would leave her alone.</p><p>
  <em>[Santana]: Congrats, grandma! Charlie knocked up the neighbour's cat. You have nine of them to come home to!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Santana]: Cats can drink scotch right? Cause I accidentally poured the wrong thing into his bowl.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>[Santana]: Charlie's a persian right? Cause that's who's sitting on my couch rn.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>Santana had settled into routine with her new roommate. It wasn't like she had to walk the cat or anything, so she made sure that there was food in his bowl before she left for work and he was usually home by the time she got back anyway.</p><p>In between she guessed that he was wandering the neighbourhood looking for mice or whatever it is that cats do. Whatever, he didn't touch her shoes and her furniture and frankly that was the best she could hope for.</p><p>Work on the other hand, left much to be desired.</p><p>Santana was the youngest person in management at one of the most promising new marketing and PR agencies in Los Angeles. She'd been there since interning in her senior year of college and knew the ins and outs of the business better than almost anyone. She was sharp, effective and knew how to get things done. It also meant that she spent too much time at the office.</p><p>You know what they say, if you need something done, give it to the busiest person at the office.</p><p>"Miss Lopez," her assistant, Marley, stepped into the door of her office. "The Mucusin people are here."</p><p>Mucusin was a new over-the-counter cold medicine soon to be released in stores. Santana had advised them to change the name, but they were pretty adamant about keeping it so it seemed like she was going to have her work cut out for her.</p><p>"Send them in."</p>
<hr/><p>So it turned out the Mucusin people were not only married to the name, but to the idea of keeping the packaging green.</p><p>Santana had to fight an eyeroll when she gave that directive to the design team to come up with a few samples incorporating <em>that </em>particular shade of green.</p><p>When she finally got home, she spotted Charlie, sitting on the arm of the couch, waiting for her and meowing expectantly.</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, you'll get your food," she grumbled, putting her things down, opening a can of Cat Chow and emptying it into his bowl.</p><p>Once she'd fulfilled her obligation, she ordered some food for herself on her phone and headed into the shower, wishing to wash all the stress of the day off before her dinner arrived.</p><p>She eats in front of the TV, when she notices that Charlie barely touches his food. Santana squints at him. He looked... different, something was off.</p><p>She gets distracted when Real Housewives comes on.</p><p>It's probably nothing.</p>
<hr/><p>Santana makes a hundred cat-lady jokes at Quinn's expense before complying when Quinn asks Santana to help her face-time Charlie.</p><p>"Oh my God, Santana!"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Why's he so fat? What have you been feeding him?"</p><p>"I just feed him the stuff you told me to buy, it's not cheap by the way, Q," she flips the camera back around so that Quinn's facing her and not the cat. "I don't even know what the big deal is, he looks-"</p><p>Santana's about to say fine when she gets a good look at the cat for the first time in weeks. That stupid Mucusin campaign's been taking up all her attention, that she didn't even notice. Charlie's gotten <em>fat.</em></p><p>"I told you, you better return him in the same condition you got him!" Quinn chastises.</p><p>"Well, I'm not returning him yet," Santana huffs. "And I didn't take you for a fat-shamer, <em>Lucy Caboosey</em>."</p><p>Quinn scowls at that remark. "Seriously, calicos are supposed to weigh like 7 or 8 pounds. How much does he weigh?"</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>"You don't know? He was supposed to have a vet appointment last week!"</p><p>"Yeah but I didn't finish that Mucusin campaign until yesterday. I thought it would be fine to delay it by a week."</p><p>"Satan, I swear to God-"</p><p>"I'll take him!" Santana sighs exaggeratedly. "God, the way you fuss over your cat, wouldn't it be easier to just have a child?"</p><p>"Santana-"</p><p>"It'll be fine," she eyes the cat from his place by the coffee table. "He hasn't gotten that fat has he?"</p><p>"Yes!"</p>
<hr/><p>Santana takes Charlie to the vet and in six weeks in her care he's managed to put on five pounds. It's not a good look.</p><p>The vet recommends some diet cat food and that Charlie get some exercise. Since he's already out the whole day, Santana buys the way too expensive diet cat food and hopes that it will fix the situation.</p><p>She's not thrilled with the idea of having to spend her weekends taking the cat for a walk.</p><p>After another week, she manages to wrestle him onto the bathroom scale for long enough to see that he's not losing weight.</p><p>The mystery of the cat's weight gain finally gains traction while she's at work and her boss, Shelby pulls her into her office.</p><p>"Cheating scandal broke today," she places a file down in front of Santana.</p><p>"What are we dealing with?"</p><p>"Throat Explosion's lead singer came down with a case of mono, gave it to his girlfriend."</p><p>"So?"</p><p>"So, the day after, the bassist comes down with a case of mono too. The girlfriend's an actress, she's getting a pretty big following and the singer's taking a lot of heat. She kicked him out."</p><p>"He slept with the bassist?"</p><p>Shelby nods. "There were rumors before, but no one ever bothered to address it, they thought it would go away."</p><p>"Well it's not going to now. What do they want us to do?"</p><p>"What do you think?" Shelby raised a brow. "PR. They need damage control."</p>
<hr/><p><em>#Monogate</em> gave Santana the breakthrough she needed. There was a third party involved. If she wasn't making changes to his diet and he was roaming about all day, there must be an external reason as to why he was gaining weight.</p><p>It's a Saturday when Santana finally decides that today will be the day she figures out who's been fattening up the cat.</p><p>She's bought him a tracking collar which synced with her phone. She checked the record previously to see that Charlie was only really exploring the apartment complex, never straying too far away from it. So she deduces it's someone else who lives in one of the apartments.</p><p>Santana knows that she has to move fast. Despite his weight gain, Charlie could still climb high and squeeze into spaces she couldn't.</p><p>When the sneaky little bastard slipped out from his kitty door, Santana quickly followed him out, tracking his steps on the app on her phone. It led her past the courtyard and into the garden patch of the complex, just by the fountain.</p><p>She waded through various potted plants, through the small pavement path in a mostly-grass covered area. A few of the plants had grown a little too tall and wound up smacking her in the face with their leaves. Santana kept glancing at her phone to make sure she was on the right track and was validated when she heard the sound of something being set down on the concrete and a pleased meow.</p><p>She scrambled through the rest of the plants and through the clearing, finding a woman, sitting on the bench and Charlie eating from a little orange cat bowl.</p><p>"Aha!" Santana exclaimed, leaping out from the garden and accusingly pointing at the cat, who didn't seem the least bit perturbed. She did however, come face to face with an amused looking woman.</p><p>Santana had expected some sad old guy who didn't have any friends and had taken to stealing the attention of the neighbour's cat but this woman was...well, gorgeous.</p><p>"Hi," the woman greeted her, seemingly unshaken by Santana's abrupt entrance.</p><p>"Hi," Santana managed to get out. "You're...you're the one who's been feeding my cat?"</p><p>"Oh is he yours?" she asks, reaching down to pet Charlie. "He likes to stop by here."</p><p>"Yeah, I mean...sort of," Santana frowns trying to explain the situation. "He's not mine, but he's in my care."</p><p>"Are you sure? Are you sure you're not a catnapper?"</p><p>Santana is partially amused but also a little offended. "Of course not! How can you accuse me of being a catnapper when you're the one feeding other people's pets?"</p><p>The woman frowns. "Feeding isn't the same as catnapping."</p><p>"So it's you? You're the one who's been fattening him up?"</p><p>"That's mean," the woman creases her forehead and pouts a little, rubbing Charlie's furry head. "I think he looks fine just as he is."</p><p>"What's he eating anyway?"</p><p>"Tuna casserole."</p><p>Santana's feelings of offense evaporate at this point and she's just confused.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"My roommate is trying to learn to cook for her boyfriend," the woman explains. "I don't think it's very good but Cheeto seems to like it."</p><p>"Cheeto?"</p><p>She looks a little embarrassed. Santana thinks it's kind of cute. "That's not his name?"</p><p>"No, uh, his name is Charlie."</p><p>"Oh, I've been calling him Cheeto. The orange spots on his fur are kinda cheeto shaped. He doesn't seem to mind," she adds.</p><p>"No, I'm sure he doesn't."</p><p>Now sensing that Santana was out of accusation mode, the woman extended her hand.</p><p>"I'm Brittany, by the way. 1812," she gestures to the apartment behind her.</p><p>Santana shook it. "Santana. 1820"</p><p>"I like your name."</p><p>"Thanks. My mom picked it out."</p><p>Santana was horrified at the words that just left her mouth. What the hell was that? She knows how to talk to beautiful women, ok? She's just having an off day. Apparently her game had just decided to up and leave and go on vacation without telling her first.</p><p>Brittany giggles at that and scoots over a little on the bench, inviting Santana, mouth still slightly agape from her words, to take a seat next to her. She obliges and just stares down at Charlie tucking into his tuna casserole. She mostly stares down at the cat because Brittany's eyes are so very blue.</p><p>"So how long has this been going on exactly?"</p><p>"Maybe a month," Brittany shrugs. "He just started coming around and one time he looked like he was hungry so I fed him the leftover's my roommate cooked. After that he kinda started coming around a lot."</p><p>"Leftovers huh? I guess the Cat Chow I've been feeding him doesn't really compare."</p><p>"Depends on the brand you buy, but usually cats prefer people-food even if it's not always the best for them. I try to only feed him stuff that cats would normally eat, like chicken and fish. Only stuff that they'd be able to catch in the wild."</p><p>"Huh. I had no idea about any of that."</p><p>"Ok, one time I fed him steak," Brittany says, looking a little guilty.</p><p>"Wow."</p><p>"My roommate bought this 14-pack of steak from Costco and I messed up with the freezing and the defrosting and we ended up just having to cook all of them. I thought maybe he should eat some before it went bad…" she trails off. "He seemed to really like it."</p><p>Santana chuckles a little. "Lucky Charlie, I bet he's the most well-fed cat in LA."</p><p>"Even more than all those pets to the stars?"</p><p>"Oh, totally, especially since he's apparently been getting double meals."</p><p>Brittany laughs and for reasons she doesn't quite understand, Santana can hear her heart beating louder in her chest.</p><p>"Sorry, if I've been stealing him away from you," she apologizes. "I just miss having a cat around."</p><p>"You had a cat before?"</p><p>"He lives back home with my parents. My roommate's allergic so I couldn't get another one even if I wanted to. I miss him sometimes. Even if he was leaking pages of my diary on the internet."</p><p>"Oh," Santana says, obviously confused. "Sounds like kind of a jerk."</p><p>"Yeah, but he has a good heart under all his addictions and gang affiliations."</p><p>"Right."</p><p>"So is Charlie your first?" Brittany asks.</p><p>"Is it that obvious I don't know what I'm doing?" Santana laughs. "I guess so. I mean, technically he's my friend's cat but she got sent to London for a couple months for work so she asked me to take care of him."</p><p>"I think you're actually doing pretty well considering he's your first cat. They're not as easy to take care of as everyone thinks," she comments as Charlie finishes his tuna casserole and jumps up onto the bench, where Brittany can pet him.</p><p>"Thanks."</p><p>"I also think you're a good friend."</p><p>Santana feels herself starting to blush and looks down at the ground to avoid eye contact. "You just met me. There's no way you could know that."</p><p>"Yeah but you're looking after your friend's cat while she's away, even though you don't really have any experience in it and you even tracked down to see where he was going when you thought something was up. Sounds like a pretty good friend to me."</p><p>"Yeah, well…" she mumbles, not sure of how to respond. "Listen, I think um, I think I'd be cool if you wanted to still hang out with Charlie and stuff. He seems to like you and I doubt I could stop him even if I wanted to."</p><p>Brittany's eyes lit up. "Really?"</p><p>"Yeah. Maybe just go easy on the steak, though. My friend is a total helicopter cat-mom and she's not super happy with all the weight gain."</p><p>"I know an Atkins diet that might help."</p><p>"I mean, yeah, if you think-"</p><p>"Oh, thank you Santana!" with a big grin on her face, Brittany leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Santana in a big hug. The brunette was taken aback by it, clearly not expecting it, but was pleasantly surprised.</p><p>"Sorry," Brittany pulled away, looking a little embarrassed.</p><p>"No, don't be," she managed to get out. "Listen, Brittany, would it be cool if I got your number?" Santana realizes instantly what it sounds like and quickly tries to explain herself. "Since I obviously have no idea what I'm doing with this cat thing. Just, so I could like text you if I have questions about cat food brands or going to the vet or something. You know, for Charlie's sake and everything," she added quickly.</p><p>"Totally," Brittany grinned. "I'll be like your cat whisperer."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If anyone's seen the show Chuck, the apartment complex here is kind of based on the one in that show.</p><p>I actually came up with this idea many years ago, but I didn't put pen to paper till recently. It was inspired by the fact that at a certain point my friend (and her parents) ended up feeding their neighbours cat on a regular basis and it started to get fat. This is also the first multi-chap I've written in years and the first Brittana multi-chap i've written at all. Would appreciate some feedback if you can.</p><p>Feedback is appreciated.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They text back and forth the next couple of days and it quickly turns into a regular thing. </p><p>Santana won’t admit it but this cat-guardian thing has no upsides until it presented her the perfect opportunity to text the hot blonde in her complex. She asks questions like what the best cat food to buy is or why Charlie kept coughing up hairballs. Brittany’s super helpful and insightful.</p><p>For instance, she knows everything about cat diseases. Santana had no idea cats could even get AIDS. </p><p>Whenever she’s at home when Charlie is visiting Brittany, she tags along. Brittany has taken to feeding him cat treats (she left her fondue pot back home, so cheese is off the table) instead, although there is the occasional helping of tuna casserole when her roommate, Tina tries cooking again and they sit on the bench and just chat. When Charlie finishes eating, they’ll play with him with one of those fishing-rod cat toys or watch him go nuts trying to chase the red dot across the floor. </p><p>“Whoa, someone got lucky today,” Santana comments, noticing that Charlie isn’t eating cat treats. </p><p>“Yeah, they’re tuna patties,” Brittany informs her. “Tina keeps buying stuff in bulk from Costco so the cans have taken up most of the kitchen. We keep on having to cook with it otherwise we won’t have space for anything else.” </p><p>Santana chuckles at this. </p><p>“I think it still qualifies under Atkins. Besides,” Brittany comments. “I was at campus most of last week, so I felt bad I didn’t get to feed or play with him.”</p><p>“You’re a student?”</p><p>“Not really. I’m a choreographer, well trying to be,” she says, with a little sigh. “But I do some research stuff at Caltech a couple times a week for extra money.” </p><p>“What do you research?”</p><p>“Applied mathematics and quantum mechanics.”</p><p>“Oh. I have no idea what that is.” </p><p>Brittany laughs. “It’s not that interesting, I’d much rather be dancing but dancers and choreographers are kind of a dime-a-dozen in LA, so it’s hard to do it full time.” </p><p>“It’ll happen,” Santana says, reassuringly. </p><p>Brittany quirks her brow. “How do you know?”</p><p>“Because I’ve never seen you dance and somehow I can already tell that you’re good.”</p><p>Brittany looks bashful. “You’re sweet.” </p><p>Santana’s chuckles and looks down at Charlie eating his food to avoid blushing. “I don’t think anyone’s ever called me that before, but thanks.” </p><p>“You know, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about work.” </p><p>Santana tries to think back to their previous conversations and much to her surprise, she realizes that Brittany is right. Work never seems to come up in their conversations, which is weird given that it’s where she spends most of her time. They talked about cat stuff, obviously, but they talked a lot more about their friends and about their lives. </p><p>Brittany’s from San Diego, where her family all still live with her overweight, chain-smoking cat, Lord Tubbington (who certainly lives up to the name, she’s seen pictures). Her roommate, Tina has taken it upon herself to learn how to cook for her boyfriend, Mike, who never asked her to and has a habit of trying to maximise her Costco membership, meaning that their kitchen is often filled with a select number of items in bulk. </p><p>They’d talked about how Quinn was totally an overbearing cat-mom and how she and Santana had known each other since high school. They talked about how Santana’s friend Mercedes just started a month-long tour to promote her new album, leaving her boyfriend a total pining mess. </p><p><em> “Nobody wants to see those giant guppy lips trembling about how much he misses her,” </em>Santana had quipped. </p><p>“I work at a marketing firm. We do a lot of ad campaigns and PR, that sort of stuff.”</p><p>“Sounds exciting.” </p><p>“It can be, but it definitely takes its toll.” </p><p>“Have I seen anything you’ve worked on?”</p><p>Santana paused. “Do you know Bubble Bites, the fish food?”</p><p>“That was you?” Brittany asks, eyes widening a bit. “I love those commercials. Where the little goldfish with the big lips kisses the bowl cause he’s so happy with the food? It’s adorable.” </p><p>“Yeah, the giant fish lips were inspired by my friend Sam. I totally thought he should get royalties for it.” </p><p>Brittany laughs and it makes Santana want to spend the whole day on the bench with her. </p><hr/><p>Sam shows up at her doorstep at ten in the morning on a Saturday, dressed in workout gear and jogging up and down on the spot when he rings the doorbell. </p><p>“Do you want to go for a run?” is the first thing he says when she opens the door. </p><p>“I really don’t.”</p><p>“C’mon, Santana, please,” he pleads. “I need to keep my brain occupied while I’m running. We can catch up.” </p><p>“God, you are such a sap. You miss Mercedes so much that you can’t go on a run without thinking about her?”</p><p>“It’s not that,” he mutters, trying to save face. “C’mon, please, just come with me. I’ll buy you coffee afterwards. I’ll even go slow so you can keep pace,” he teases.  </p><p>“Oh please, Trouty Mouth, I would totally leave you in dust,” Santana rolls her eyes. </p><p>Sam grins. “So you’ll come?” </p><p>“Fine,” she huffs, turning around to go get changed. </p><hr/><p>Santana’s out of breath by the time they finish their run, starting to regret trying to sprint ahead of Sam every time they turned a corner. They talked a bit, but she was pretty invested in proving her point that she’d totally leave him in dust. </p><p>At least having to keep up with someone else could distract him from his girlfriend woes. </p><p>As promised, he bought her coffee from the cafe near her apartment as the two of them walked back through the courtyard of the complex.</p><p>“Hey Santana!” </p><p>Santana stopped in her tracks and turned around to find Brittany, carrying a box and coming towards her.</p><p>“Hi, Britt,” she smiles. </p><p>“I believe this is yours, they misdelivered it to my apartment,” Brittany says, holding out the box. </p><p>“Oh, thanks,” Santana replies, quickly thrusting her cup of coffee at Sam to hold and taking the box from Brittany. </p><p>“No problem,” Brittany says, distracted, trying not to stare directly at Santana’s abs, since the sports bra, she's wearing makes them very evident. “Just trying to be a good neighbour. Did you just get back from a run?”</p><p>“Yeah. Gotta stay in shape and everything,” she says. </p><p>“I mean you totally look like you do.” </p><p>Santana finds her mouth slightly agape once again, not sure how to respond to that comment, so she just laughs a little nervously. </p><p>“Looks like you’re feeling better, then.” </p><p>Santana had come down with a cold last week. After a full day of trying to sniffle her way through meetings and waiting to blow her nose when the door to her office was shut, Shelby told her not to come in till she was feeling better. When Brittany found out, she showed up a couple hours later with chicken soup from the deli and a copy of <em> The Parent Trap. </em></p><p>Santana would have swooned if she wasn’t on the verge of falling back asleep from all that cold medicine. Mucusin was actually very effective, though it was also super strong. </p><p>“Much better,” Santana nods. “Thank you again for the soup and the movie. I still need to return your DVD.” </p><p>Brittany waves it off. “Don’t worry about it. I was totally right though, wasn’t I? <em> Parent Trap </em>is the perfect sick day movie.” </p><p>“You were definitely right about that,” Santana smiles. She hears Sam clear his throat and it suddenly occurs to her that it’s not just her and Brittany standing out in the courtyard, “This is Sam by the way. He just ate my dust,” she smirks. “This is my neighbour, Brittany.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you,” he nods. “I’d shake your hand, but,” he gestures at the two coffee cups he’s holding. </p><p>“Wait you’re Sam...you’re the Bubble Bites guy!” she exclaims, as if finally putting two and two together. </p><p>“The Bubble Bites...Santana!” he turns to his friend. “I really wish you’d stop telling people I was the inspiration for that,” Sam chastises, though he laughs. </p><p>“I’m just keepin’ it real,” she shrugs, with a smirk. “I did fight to try to get you royalties on that, but the Bubble Bites Corporation refused.” </p><p>Brittany laughs. “Anyway, I actually have to get going, I have an audition in a bit, but I just wanted to make sure your package got to you safely.” </p><p>“Well, thank you for that. And good luck with the audition, I’m sure you’ll kill it.” </p><p>“Thanks, I’ll see you around,” she smiles. “It was nice to meet you, Sam.” Brittany then turns around and walks back to her apartment, leaving Santana to watch as she walks away. </p><p>Her attention is finally diverted when Sam nudges her in the side and she sees the big guppy grin on his face. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me about Brittany?”</p><p>“Tell you what? I have lots of neighbours.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you said that you weren’t seeing anyone.” </p><p>“We’re not seeing each other, I mean, we hang out sometimes but that’s really only so she can play with my cat.” </p><p>Sam looks like he’s about to burst out laughing. </p><p>“Not that! My actual cat! Well, Quinn’s cat, Charlie. The four legged animal. Ugh. You’re impossible,” she mutters before turning around and storming off towards her apartment as Sam finally bursts out laughing. </p><hr/><p>“So, he’s shedding now,” Santana informs Brittany, one afternoon they’re back on the bench. </p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, it feels like I have carpeting in my living room now."  </p><p>Brittany scratches the back of Charlie’s ear. “Oh no. Have you given him a bath? Sometimes it helps.”</p><p>Santana groaned. “No, not for a while. The first time I tried to do it he acted as if I was trying to kill him. My entire bathroom floor ended up soaked, the little drama queen,” she glared at him, moving to his eye level, though Charlie didn't seem the least bit bothered</p><p>“Bathing cats is never fun, trust me,” Brittany giggles. “One time in high school I was trying to wrangle Lord Tubbington into the bath and well, I ended up in the bath too. Soaked my clothes and everything.”</p><p>“Ok, I’m starting to think I got off easy with the wet floor,” Santana laughed. </p><p>“I mean, it could’ve been worse,” she smiled with a little shrug.  “You could try brushing his fur too, it’ll collect the fur before it falls out. That way, it won’t end up all over your floor and your furniture.” </p><p>“Brushing? So that’s like an everyday thing?”</p><p>“A couple times a week should be fine.” </p><p>Charlie is distracted when a bird flies low and quickly leaps off the bench in an attempt to chase it, causing the bird to panic and quickly flap its wings in an attempt to leave, as the cat makes a swipe at it. </p><p>A couple of months ago, Charlie could have taken down that bird in one swipe. Despite his recent weight loss, he was still a little slow and the pigeon lived to flap away. </p><p>“I’m just glad I’m not going to have to clean up that mess,” Santana comments. </p><p>“Oh yeah, he’d definitely present it to you as a gift on your doorstep.” </p><p>“Gross.”</p><p>“Aww, it just means he loves you,” Brittany teases. </p><hr/><p>Santana has a grin on her face when Brittany sends her another cat meme. The blonde has a kind of quirky sense of humour, but her meme game is certainly on point. They’ve been texting back and forth for a little while and Santana giggles, immediately replying with three laughing face emojis. </p><p>Sam notices immediately. </p><p>“Who are you texting?”</p><p>“Hmm? Nobody,” she answers quickly. She’s at his apartment, trying to help him pick out an outfit for when he picks Mercedes up at the airport and whisks her off to their date. He hasn’t seen her in a month and it’s incredibly obvious. </p><p>“It’s that Brittany, chick right?” he asks, with a teasing grin. “She seems cool, you should ask her out.” </p><p>“Ok, mind ya business, Trouty Mouth,” Santana retorts, defensively. “Why don’t you go back to focussing on picking out your clothes like you’re a teenage girl on her first date.”</p><p>“You’re supposed to be helping me! Hey, what if I picked her up in a suit and a sign with her name on it? I could get one of those chauffeur’s hats.”</p><p>“Yeah, because there’s nothing that gets a woman hotter than the idea of coming home to her <em>chauffeur.” </em></p><p>“Ok fine, help me pick something out then,” he sighs, dragging another batch of shirts out of his closet and onto his bed. </p><p>Santana thumbs through a few of them and pulls out some options. </p><p>“She’s not even going to be back till next week. Why are you doing this now?”</p><p>“I don’t remember if I washed some of these after the last time I wore them,” he admitted. “It’s been a while.”</p><p>Santana scrunched up her nose. </p><p>“Besides, I needed your opinion and it’s impossible to pin you down with your schedule these days.”</p><p>“Where are you taking her anyway?”</p><p>“That new place near Kurt’s apartment. He said it’s really good, also y’know, classy but not super high-profile in case she doesn’t wanna get recognized and have to take selfies all evening.” </p><p>Santana looks at the shirts she pulled out and hands him a wine-red button down. “You have black jeans somewhere right? Wear them with this.” </p><p>Sam thanks her and heads into his en-suite to try on his outfit. Santana can hear zippers being pulled up and down and fabric hitting the bathroom floor. </p><p>“So are you gonna ask her out?” he calls out from the bathroom. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Brittany,” he clarifies, emerging in his new outfit, still doing up the buttons on his shirt. “She seems cool.  Why don’t ask her out?” </p><p>“She’s- I mean,” Santana tries to shrug and make it look like she doesn’t care. “I mean she’s cool but I don’t even know if she’s gay.” </p><p>“She totally is.” </p><p>“How would you know?”</p><p>“I have awesome gaydar.”</p><p>Santana snorts at that. “You? You think you have awesome gaydar?”</p><p>“Yes,” he answers in complete sincerity. </p><p>“Not that I like to be reminded of this but we <em> dated </em>,” Santana reminds him. “And it was only for like two weeks in high school but still.” </p><p>“Yeah, but you weren’t out then.”</p><p>“You would’ve known though, if your gaydar was so good.” </p><p>“Well, I knew Kurt was gay.”</p><p>Santana snorts again. ”That’s because Lady Hummel came out of the womb tap-dancing in a rainbow onesie and singing showtunes. Next.” </p><p>He thinks again. “Well, I was your wingman that time at <em> Eclectic. </em>Remember, you went home with that brunette? I knew she was gay.”</p><p>“Uh, only because she kept sending me drinks and grinding up on me on the dance floor. Face it Trouty, your gaydar doesn’t work.” </p><p>Sam pursed his lips. “I still think Brittany’s gay. She was kinda checking you out after we went running.” </p><p>“She was?”</p><p>Sam nods. </p><p>“Well...who wouldn’t check me out?” Santana waves it off and hopes she doesn’t stammer. “Have you seen my abs? They’re fantastic.”</p><hr/><p>Turns out brushing the cat regularly really does help with the shedding. </p><p>She just didn’t expect it to turn into an every-other-day sort of thing. She thought maybe once a week, but it was practically a daily thing at this point, only missing days when Santana was super swamped at the office.</p><p>Fortunately, Charlie actually liked being groomed, so this wasn’t like a bath situation. He’d purr in contentment as she collected the hair with the brush, preventing her from having to collect it from the floor in the coming days. </p><p>She’d never admit it, but it was almost kind of relaxing, like one of those mindless things you can do so that you don’t have to think of anything. </p><p>“Good boy,” she tells him, petting his head as she finishes brushing him and Charlie responds by climbing back to his spot on the couch. She just lets him sit on the furniture or wherever now. It’s not like she can stop him when she’s at work most of the day anyway. </p><p>Her phone rings and she looks at the screen to see that it’s Quinn requesting for a FaceTime. Santana turns to the cat. </p><p>“Your mom is calling.” </p><p>He looks up at her and meows, before turning his attention elsewhere. </p><p>“Yeah, but if I don’t pick up now, she’ll just bother me about you later.” Santana hits the accept button on her phone. “Hey, Q. Everything’s fine here, Charlie’s still in one piece.” </p><p>“How’s it going with the weight loss?”</p><p>“It’s, you know...going,” Santana shrugged, squinting at the cat. “He’s doing better. Here,” she turns the phone around so that Quinn can see Charlie sitting on the couch. </p><p>“Hi Charlie,” Santana heard Quinn gush in what she now dubbed her ‘mama’ voice. “How are you doing? Is Santana taking care of you?”</p><p>Santana rolled her eyes, as she watched the cat look up at his human on the screen, blink once and then go back to cleaning himself. </p><p>“He actually looks like he’s lost a little weight,” Quinn comments. </p><p>“Well I should hope so. Do you know how many types of diet cat food I had to buy? You were certainly no help.”</p><p>“Well excuse me, my cat never gained five pounds in a month when he was with <em> me </em>,” she retorted. “So which one helped?”</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>“Which brand worked in the end?”</p><p>“Oh,” Santana flipped the phone back around so Quinn was facing her. “Well, it just turned out that one of the neighbours was feeding him sometimes, so it was just that.” </p><p>Quinn frowned. “Are there kids in your complex?”</p><p>“I don’t think so, why?”</p><p>“I figured it would’ve been some kid feeding him.” </p><p>“No, it’s um...it’s not a kid.” </p><p>“So who was it?”</p><p>“Just, you know,” Santana shrugged. “A person.”</p><p>“Do you know them?”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“The <em> neighbour, </em>Santana.”</p><p>“No. Well not before. Now I do.”  </p><p>Quinn furrowed her brow. “Are you ok?”</p><p>“Yeah”</p><p>“You’re acting weird.” </p><p>“No I’m not.”</p><p>“Yes, you are.”</p><p>“Yeah? Well you FaceTime your cat once a week. You <em> are </em>weird.” </p><hr/><p>Santana’s work week has been completely insane. Her firm has been tasked to put together a bunch of press releases for a book launch. It was a total rush job, but despite everything, Santana was proud of the work that she and her team has done. </p><p>She was also ready to not think about work anymore, which is why she decided to head home at 5pm on a Friday night. </p><p>She crossed the courtyard from the parking lot when she spotted a familiar figure sitting at the bench, playing with Charlie. </p><p>“Hey Brittany” she greeted. </p><p>“Oh, hi Santana,” the blonde looked up. She gave a polite smile, but Santana could sense something was off. </p><p>“Everything ok?”</p><p>Brittany sighed. “Not really. Remember the audition I went on a couple weeks ago?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“I didn’t get it.” </p><p>“Oh, Britt, I’m so sorry,” she said, apologetically, taking a seat on the bench. “Are you ok?”</p><p>“I guess. It was for this choreography gig for the little theatre production, they’re putting on a show that’s supposed to run for a couple of months. I thought my pitch was really good and they seemed to like it but the director called earlier and said they’re going in another direction.” </p><p>Brittany pouted, as she stared at the ground. Charlie hooped up on the bench again and nuzzled against her side, so she could pet him. </p><p>“I’ve kinda just been hanging out with him for a while,” she admits. “Tina’s still at work and I’ve just been bummed since I found out. Didn’t really want to be alone.”</p><p>Seeing Brittany sad felt like watching somebody repeatedly kick a puppy and there was no way that Santana could stand by and not do something. </p><p>“Do you want to come over?” she asked. “I was gonna order a pizza and just chill out, you’re welcome to join me. You can talk about it if you want or we could just watch Netflix or...whatever terrible stuff they play.” </p><p>“I’d hate to crash your Friday night.”</p><p>“Please, you wouldn’t be,” she then looks down at the cat. “Don’t worry, I won’t get in between the two of you if you’re worried about that.” </p><p>The comment made Brittany’s lip come up in a small smile and she let out a giggle. Santana felt a surge of pride in being able to do that</p><p>“That sounds really nice.” </p><hr/><p>They eat pizza on Santana’s couch while Charlie is curled up on his giant pillow of a  cat bed. Some B-movie in playing, but a commercial break interrupts the terrible story unfolding. </p><p>“Did you work on that one?” Brittany asks, taking a bite out of her slice of pizza when a sports drink commercial comes on. </p><p>“No, that’s not me,” Santana replied. She frowns a little as she tries to recall. “I think we made a pitch for that account, but we lost out in the end.” </p><p>“I know that feeling.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry, Britt.”</p><p>“No, it’s ok. Please don’t apologize,” Brittany waves it off. “I’m just feeling sorry for myself.” </p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>Brittany pauses, trying to gather her thoughts. “It’s just that I feel like I’ve been trying to make this work forever and nothing’s really happened,” she shrugged, dejectedly. “Maybe it’s time to call it quits.” </p><p>“How long has it been?”</p><p>“Almost four years. You know I had a scholarship to MIT?”</p><p>“You never told me that.”</p><p>“Yeah. Full ride too, as a math major. I spent all of high school with people thinking that I was stupid, so when I got the offer, I jumped at the chance to go somewhere where everybody knew I was smart,” she looked up from the floor and back and Santana. “Turns out I hated it. I mean, I was good at it, but I didn’t want to spend all my time thinking about Euler bricks and the Reimann hypothesis. I finally dropped out after my second year and moved down here to be a dancer.”</p><p>Santana didn’t say anything, waiting for Brittany to continue. </p><p>“I actually got picked up for a couple of minor acts. I toured for over a year. I don’t think I was ever at home for more than a couple of weeks at a time.” </p><p>“What made you give it up?”</p><p>Brittany sighed. “It got to me after a while, all the travelling and stuff. Like it was fun and exciting when it was happening but I missed the feeling of being able to come home at the end of every day, you know? Like even if it was just to a roommate or a cat or just to a place that I could honestly say was home.” </p><p>Santana nodded. “Yeah, I could see that.”</p><p>“Plus it made having any kind of relationship impossible. I mean, having a boyfriend or a girlfriend you just never get to see is so…” she trailed off. “Anyway, that’s why I stopped going on tour. I moved back here and tried to land a steady gig in choreo, but that hasn't exactly been going well,” Brittany shook her head, disappointed. “Doing the research gig at Caltech was supposed to be a short-term thing, just to tide me over until I had something steady, but it feels like that’s the only thing that’s steady right now.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Britt.”</p><p>“They approached me again a couple of days ago about doing it full time, maybe work on getting a masters or something even though I never technically finished my bachelors. Some kind of abridged program…” she trailed off. “I said no, but maybe I should reconsider.”</p><p>“Do you like working on the math stuff?”</p><p>“Not really, but I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. It just...it doesn’t make sense to give up something that’s working out for something that’s not.” she sighed. “Right? These schools all want my math-brain, they keep saying my mind is like ‘once in a generation’ or whatever, nobody seems to want me as a dancer.”</p><p>Santana paused, trying to collect her own thoughts, trying to think of the right thing to say. “Britt-”</p><p>“Did you ever try to pursue something you didn’t love?” she asked. </p><p>“Well, I tried to date boys for a while,” Santana said, hoping that it would make Brittany smile even just a little bit. “But, I’m definitely done with that.” She felt a little better when the blonde let out a chuckle, before looking back at her. </p><p>“Were you always going to be in advertising?”</p><p>Santana let out a laugh. “God no. I was so lost in college, you have no idea. I was pre-law for a while, convinced myself I wanted it, then realized that I actually didn’t. I took a gap year, thought I could make something of myself as a singer and did the whole waitressing-while-trying-to-land-gigs thing.”</p><p>“You’re a singer?” </p><p>“Hardly. I mean, I liked it, but I decided it was something I just wanted to do for fun, not as a career.” </p><p>“I bet you’re good though,” Brittany smiled, her tone now playful and less sad. “I can totally tell by your voice.”</p><p>“I’m...alright,” Santana said, fighting a small grin and trying to play it cool. </p><p>“Can I hear you sing?” </p><p>“Now?” Brittany nodded. “You can’t put me on the spot like that!” Santana said, suddenly feeling nervous and fighting off the heat that was creeping up the back of her neck.</p><p>“Pleeease,” she pleaded. </p><p>“I-I haven’t even seen you dance,” Santana retorted. “Totally not fair.” </p><p>“So? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” Brittany teased. </p><p>“Ok first, wanky,” Santana smirked. “And second, you dance professionally, I can’t just perform on the spot like that.”</p><p>“Ok fine, not now, but...sometime?” Brittany asked, hopefully. </p><p>“Sure,” she conceded. “Sometime.” </p><p>“Score,” Brittany smiled. “I’m gonna hold you to that.” </p><p>“I expect nothing less.” </p><p>“So, what happened after your gap year?”</p><p>“Well, I figured out I didn’t want to sing professionally, so I figured that I should go back to college, but I still didn’t want to be a lawyer, I had no idea what I wanted. I almost just dropped out completely and went back to Ohio because I didn't want to feel like I was wasting any more money,” she paused.  “One day I was applying to a bunch of internships, literally, any internship, just throwing everything at the wall and seeing what would stick and lo and behold, I got a call for an interview from this little marketing firm. I went to the interview and the rest is history.” </p><p>“So you weren’t always in love with advertising?”</p><p>Santana shook her head. “No, but when I started working there I started really enjoying the work and after I graduated they offered me a full time job. I mean, it gets stressful and there are definitely days you want to strangle your clients, but all things considered, I love my job. And honestly, loving my job...now, I can’t imagine having to go in every day to do something I didn’t like.” </p><p>Brittany fell quiet, as she reflected on Santana’s words. </p><p>“What do you love doing Britt?”</p><p>“Dancing,” she said, without missing a beat. </p><p>“Look, I didn’t think I was ever going to figure out what I wanted to do, but I did. If you  love dancing, you should stick with it. It’s gonna work out for you, Britt, but you shouldn’t give up before it does. ” </p><p>She watched closely as Brittany chewed her lower lip, processing everything that she’d just said. Santana suddenly became aware of how close they were and quickly averted her eyes, as to not stare at Brittany’s lips for too long. Looking at Brittany’s lips made her want to lean in and…</p><p>Now wasn’t the time. Not when Brittany was feeling so down and confused about her career. Besides, she didn’t even know if Brittany felt the same way. She’d just confirmed that she was interested in women, but that didn't mean she was interested in Santana. She was a total sweetheart, but it was just who she was, Santana couldn’t read too hard into that. Maybe Brittany just wanted to be friends. Sam said that she’d totally checked her out the other day, but really who wouldn’t? Her abs were phenomenal. </p><p>“Okay,” she heard Brittany finally say. </p><p>“What?"</p><p>“Ok, I won’t give up until it works out,” she said with a small smile on her face. </p><p>“Yeah?” Santana asks. “Promise?”</p><p>Brittany extends her pinky finger. “Promise.” </p><p>Santana chuckles and links Brittany’s pinky with her own, as if to seal the deal.</p><p>The rest of the night feels lighter. They talk about friends and work and make fun of the movie that’s playing. They finish off the pizza and play with Charlie when he eventually makes his way over, deciding he wants to be showered with affection from Brittany. </p><p>Eventually, Brittany figures that it’s late and that she should head home. Santana walks her across the courtyard to her own front door. She tells herself it’s the neighbourly thing to do. </p><p>“Thanks for cheering me up tonight,” Brittany tells her. “I really needed it.” </p><p>“I’m just glad I could help.” </p><p>Brittany wraps her arms around her and pulls her in for a tight hug. </p><p>“You really are very sweet,” Brittany says once they pull away. </p><p>“I’m pretty sure you’re still the only person who thinks that.” </p><p>The blonde laughs. “Goodnight, Santana.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Britt.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Promised myself this would be out by the end of the month. </p><p>Feedback is appreciated :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ooops it's already October. I'm honestly not super happy with how this chapter turned out but if I waited till I was, it might be another 6 months before it gets posted.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I got something for him,” Brittany says when they’re chilling on the bench one Saturday. She pulls out a small black and white stuffed cat and puts it in front of Charlie, who immediately paws at it and starts trying to tug its ear with his mouth. “I figured he might get lonely since I haven’t really seen any other cats in this neighbourhoods.”</p><p>Santana laughs. “You spoil him.” </p><p>“Well duh, I’m like his fun aunt, it’s totally my job.”</p><p>“Wait, if you’re his fun aunt, what does that make me? The disciplinarian?”</p><p>“I mean, you are the one trying to get him back into shape,” Brittany teases. </p><p>“Hey, that’s under orders from his mother.” </p><p>“I’m just kidding,” she smiles. “I bet you’re a total softie.”</p><p>“Ok, now I think you’re just swinging wildly to both extremes.”</p><p>Brittany giggled. “How close are you to the goal?”</p><p>“A couple more pounds at least. Hopefully by his next vet appointment.” </p><p>They sit for a little while longer and Santana can feel the words on the tip of her tongue. <em> Do you want to go out sometime? </em>But they can’t seem to leave her mouth, so she settles for something else.</p><p>“How’s it going with auditions?”</p><p>“Not bad, I guess. I got a callback the other day.” </p><p>“Britt, that’s awesome!”</p><p>“Yeah,” she smiles. “I’m trying to be optimistic but I just don’t wanna get my hopes up or anything,” she shrugs. “What about you? How’s work?”</p><p>“Ugh, I’ve got the world's most annoying client.”  </p><p>“Awww,” the blonde commiserates. “Who is it?”</p><p>Santana rolls her eyes. “My boss’ daughter. She wants a full scale production of promo materials. All for some ridiculous one-woman show that nobody’s going to watch. I swear, I’ve never met a more insufferable person in my life.” </p><p>“What’s the name of the show?”</p><p>“<em> Rachel! </em> Not just, <em> Rachel, </em> which also would have been terrible and self-aggrandising, but <em> Rachel! </em>with an exclamation point. She even insisted the lettering has to all be in gold and that the dot on the exclamation point should be - wait for it - a gold star!”</p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that,” Brittany says sincerely, though she smiles at Santana’s exaggerated little huff. “I guess they’re not casting any dancers, huh?”</p><p>“No,” Santana shakes her head. “Trust me, even if they were, you do not want to work for this woman. It’s one thing to be a control freak, but Rachel Berry feels the need to combine that with being the most annoying human being I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet.” </p><p>“Well, I’m sure you’ll do an awesome job anyway,” she says kindly. “You’re like the best advertiser in LA.” </p><p>“Pffft, LA? Please, I’m the best advertiser on the West Coast,” Santana winks and Brittany chuckles. “So, where’d you get the toy?”</p><p>“Just at the supermarket,” she replied. “I um, found myself in the toy aisle the other day,” she looks a little embarrassed. “Anyway, I’m gonna be gone for a couple days next week and I didn’t want him to get lonely while you’re at work.”</p><p>“Where are you going?”</p><p>“Just up to San Diego for a couple days. It’s my dad’s birthday so I thought I’d drive up and see my family.” </p><p>“Aww, well he’ll miss you,” Santana replies, though she’s pretty sure that she’s projecting her feelings all onto the cat. </p><p>Brittany claps at Charlie, which makes him drop his new toy and leap up onto the bench so that she can pet him as he purrs in delight. </p><p>“I’ll miss him too,” she says, though her eyes never leave Santana’s. </p><hr/><p>Mercedes comes home from tour on a Tuesday, but they don’t meet up till that Friday. Santana heads to the upscale bar downtown after work. When she walks in and spots there’s a singing stage where patrons who are in that perfect state of inebriation can go up to sing, she immediately knows Kurt picked the venue. </p><p>Mercedes, Sam and Kurt are already sitting in the booth and she greets Mercedes with a big hug, genuinely pleased to see her friend.</p><p>“Where’s my hug, Santana?” Sam teases and she responds by purposely ruffling up his hair. Kurt and Mercedes both laugh. </p><p>“So how was the tour?” she asks. “Tell me everything.” </p><p>“Exhausting,” Mercedes admits. “But it was a lot of fun, you know? I got to meet a bunch of fans and promote the album.” </p><p>“My girl’s a star,” Sam grins proudly, with his arm around her. </p><p>“My producer’s super optimistic on the sales-side,” she says. “Plus there’s a bunch of songs they’re already coming to me with for the follow-up!”</p><p>“We’re definitely drinking to that,” Kurt says, calling over a waiter and ordering a round of Martinis to celebrate. His eyes linger on the waiter for a little too long when he goes to fulfil the order. </p><p>The four of them toast to Mercedes’ success and catch up on everything that’s been happening in their lives. It was crazy to think how long it had been since they all met and how far they’d come since meeting in college. </p><p>“Has anyone heard from Quinn?” Mercedes asked. </p><p>“Only when she calls to check up on her cat,” Santana offers. “Other than some clear attachment issues, she seems fine.” </p><p>“I’d love to go to London for six months,” Kurt sighed, dreamily. “I guess the only problem would be the weather, it’s so dreary.” </p><p>“Like your love life?” Santana cracks. “Speaking of which, whatever happened to Gay Winklevoss?”</p><p><em> “Blaine </em>and I are on a break,” Kurt sighs. </p><p>“Again?”</p><p>“It was a whole thing, I don’t want to ruin tonight by talking about it,” he waves off. “And by the way Santana, I wouldn’t start throwing stones, it’s not like <em> your </em>love life is going anywhere.”</p><p>“My love life is just fine, thanks.” </p><p>“Is that why you still haven’t asked out your neighbour?”</p><p>Santana gapes. “Who told you about that?”</p><p>Kurt points at Mercedes, who gestures to her boyfriend. Santana glares at Sam. </p><p>“What? We’re in a relationship! I can’t keep secrets from my girlfriend!” </p><p>Santana rolls her eyes. </p><p>“Well, now that we’re on the subject,” Kurt says with a coy smile. “Who is this mystery woman and why haven’t you told us about her?”</p><p>“Don’t you start with me, Lady Lips,” Santana warns. When she feels all her friends eyes on her, waiting for her to elaborate, she sighs. “There’s nothing to tell, she’s my neighbor and we hang out sometimes.” </p><p>The truth of the matter was that Santana had thought about asking Brittany out...kind of a lot. It just so happened that every time she tried to make the words leave her mouth, they always seemed to get stuck.</p><p>Maybe it was the fact that she genuinely enjoyed hanging out with Brittany and that she was too nervous about that possibly going away if Brittany said no. It would be too weird. And Charlie would probably still want to spend time with Brittany and Santana knew that she couldn’t stop that. It would be too weird, like sharing custody of the cat, that in reality belonged to neither of them. </p><p>So there. Santana knew she might be being a bit of a chicken-shit about asking Brittany out, but she wasn’t about to admit it to her friends. </p><p>Not to Kurt who was on his third (or maybe it was fourth) break with the Bowtie Baron and Sam who had spent the last month looking out windows and sighing longingly because he missed his girlfriend. </p><p>“She’s totally into you,” Sam offers. </p><p>“You met her for like five minutes, how would you know?” Santana shakes her head. “Besides, we’re just friends.”</p><p>“You mean like <em> friends </em> friends or <em> I’m gonna catch you in the bathroom with your hand down her pants </em>friends?” Mercedes raises her brow, referencing the unfortunate instance in freshman year she’d walked in on Santana and her “just a friend” from her socio class at a house party. </p><p>Santana rolled her eyes. “That happened one time.” </p><p>“It certainly was not just <em> one time, </em>” Mercedes retorted. “I have mental scars from the year we were roommates Santana.” </p><p>Santana couldn’t help smirking and tilted her head in acknowledgement. </p><p>“Ok, ok, we’re done talking about this,” she said. “I have a neighbour and she’s my friend and that’s it,” she hit her hand on the table as if to establish it was a closed-case, no longer wishing to discuss it. She polished off her martini and signalled for the waiter to bring her another. </p><p>“How’s work?” Mercedes asks her, granting her a reprieve from the Brittany talk. </p><p>Santana lets out a groan and reaches for her martini as the waiter sets it down. “Don’t even start.” </p><p>She proceeds to rant on about Rachel Berry, how the small woman seemed to love coming into the office unannounced and how she needed eight different versions of every marketing material they came up with and the fact that she insisted that while she’d been dubbed “The Next Streisand” (not that Santana had found any statements that supported such a claim), she wanted to stand on her own two feet. </p><p>“Did you know she signs off on contracts with a gold star at the end of her name?”</p><p>When another patron got on the stage to start singing his rendition of <em> Carry on my Wayward Son, </em>Kurt immediately started clapping. </p><p>“We have to go up,” he grinned. </p><p>When the patron steps down, Kurt is all-too-keen to sing his rendition of <em> Defying Gravity </em>as Santana, Mercedes and Sam raise their glasses, clap and cheer him on. </p><p>“Wooo!”</p><p>“Go Kurt!” </p><p>
  <em> “Something has changed within me </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Something is not the same </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’m through with playing by  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The rules of someone else’s game”  </em>
</p><p>The affinity for karaoke had started in junior year when Kurt introduced them to a little karaoke bar not far from campus. Having been part of his high-school acapella group, he’d drag his friends to come and sing with him. Everyone still laughed at the memory of Kurt’s incredulous reaction to Sam rocking out to <em> Red Solo Cup </em>on the mic for the very first time. </p><p>When Kurt gets off the stage, he has a big smile by the time he gets back to the booth. </p><p>“I’ve missed that,” he says, with a glimmer in his eyes. “One of you guys has to go next!” he grins. “Mercedes?”</p><p>“Nuh-uh, I’m off the clock. You gotta pay for this voice now,” she teases, taking a sip of her drink as the others all laugh. </p><p>“Come on.”</p><p>“Maybe later,” she relents.</p><p>“Ok, Santana, you’re next,” Kurt turns to her. </p><p>“San-ta-na, San-ta-na,” Sam starts chanting, setting the beat with his fist against the table. </p><p>“San-ta-na, San-ta-na,” Mercedes and Kurt join in, so the chant gets louder. </p><p>“Alright, alright,” Santana relents, getting up from her seat and causing her three friends to cheer. “Let me show you how it’s done, peasants.” </p><hr/><p>Brittany’s been practicing for a few hours when Mike finds her. He let her borrow one of the empty rooms in the studio, where she has a camera set up. She’s just finished when he walks in, as she takes the camera. </p><p>“How’s it going, Britt?” he asks. </p><p>“Alright. Thanks again for letting me use the room.” </p><p>“No worries, what’s the job?”</p><p>“Dance scene in a movie. They want a solo concept piece.”</p><p>“Sounds promising, I hope you get it,” he says kindly. </p><p>“Thanks, me too.”</p><p>Mike was one of the first people Brittany met after coming back to LA from touring. They met in a dance class and became fast friends. He was actually the one that told her his girlfriend was looking for a roommate, leading her to her current apartment. Mike was now the manager of a studio and he’d let Brittany use one of the rooms to practice in, since there were no classes scheduled in that room for the day. </p><p>“Last class done?” she asked him. </p><p>“Yep, I’m just closing up,” he said. “What’s up? I feel like you’re here all the time but I keep missing you between classes.”</p><p>“Just going to more auditions,” she explained. “Something’s bound to work out right? Plus, I’m getting a little tired of complex mathematical theories.” </p><p>“Sorry, I wish I could match what Caltech is paying you,” Mike says. He’d always offered her a teaching spot at the studio, but given how sought-after Brittany’s brain was by STEM schools, he couldn’t match what she was making against how often she’d have to come in and work.</p><p>“It’s ok, I appreciate the thought.” </p><p>“Anyway, Tina and I are gonna head out to this bar, you want to come with? Seems like you could use a break.” </p><p>“Sure, I just need a minute to get changed.” </p><p>“No problem, I have to close up. I’ll meet you out front.” </p><hr/><p>Tina’s been itching to go to this bar for a few weeks ever since she heard about it from her coworker. </p><p>They’re ordering drinks at the bar, as patrons go up and down the stage. Some of them drunk and tone-deaf, others actually genuinely talented singers. </p><p>“We should do a duet,” Tina suggests to her boyfriend. </p><p>He laughs. “How about you sing and I’ll dance next to you?” Mike turns to Brittany and asks her what’s new. </p><p>“Not much,” she shrugs. “Just auditions and stuff.”</p><p>“You’re not seeing anyone, right?” he asks. “Someone at the studio was asking about you.”</p><p>Tina smacks his arm. “She’s not interested.” </p><p>“What? I’m just asking.”</p><p>“Wait, why did you say I’m not interested?” Brittany takes a sip of her drink and turns to Tina. It was true, but she wanted to know why her roommate was so quick to answer. </p><p>“Because you’re totally into that girl with the cat. The girl in 1820, right?” </p><p>“Oh, I totally forgot about that,” Mike says, realizing his error. “I’ll tell Jake, that you’re not really interested.” </p><p>“Wait what? Santana and I aren’t seeing each other, we’re just friends.” </p><p>“You guys hang out all the time.”</p><p>“So? <em> We </em>hang out all the time.”</p><p>“Remember when they misdelivered her package? You could have just dropped it off at her doorstep but you waited to give it to her in person.” </p><p>“Because it was the neighbourly thing to do,” Brittany insisted. “What if someone had taken the package while it was on her doorstep, then what?”</p><p>“Just admit it, Britt, you have a crush on her.” </p><p>“I-”</p><p>“Hey look, it’s Santana.”</p><p>“Very funny, Tina. I’m not six.” </p><p>“No, really,” Tina points. “It’s Santana.” </p><p>Brittany turns around to see Santana on stage, mic in hand. She suddenly remembers their conversation about Santana having tried her hand at singing. </p><p>
  <em> “Well sometimes I go out by myself </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And I look across the water </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And I think of all the things, what you're doing </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And in my head I paint a picture” </em>
</p><p>Brittany finds herself almost in a trance, watching the other woman sing. She had guessed Santana was good but...wow. Her eyes don’t move from the brunette on stage, totally engrossed in that moment, so much so she doesn’t even notice Tina turn to Mike and say:</p><p>“Told ya.”</p><hr/><p>Santana can hear applause from the bar as she walks off stage and heads back to the booth. Her friends are still clapping and whooping, as she takes her seat.</p><p>“And that’s how it’s done,” she says, proudly. Even though she doesn’t try to do it professionally, she still enjoys singing and it still gives her that rush to perform every so often. “Trouty, you’re next. Next round’s on me,” she volunteers, raising her hand, trying to spot the waiter. </p><p>“What should I sing?” Sam asks Mercedes. “Should I hit ‘em up with the crowd-pleaser, <em> Red Solo Cup </em>?” he teases.</p><p><em> “ </em> No! <em> ” </em>Kurt exclaims, causing his friends to laugh. “You have a nice voice, Sam, but I hate that song.” </p><p>“It’s a classic.”</p><p>“It’s ridiculous!” </p><p>Santana can’t seem to get the waiter’s attention, so she stands up to go find someone who can supply them with alcohol. She doesn’t get more than a few steps away, when she comes face to face with a familiar pair of blue eyes. </p><p>“Brittany?” </p><p>“Oh my God, you were incredible!” Brittany gushes upon seeing her. </p><p>“You saw me sing?”</p><p>“Yes! You totally killed it!” </p><p>“Thanks, Britt,” Santana smiles. “What are you doing here?” </p><p>“Oh, I’m here with Tina and her boyfriend, Mike,” she gestures over to the bar. “You?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m here with-”</p><p>“Santana!” she hears Mercedes call out. </p><p>“-Friends,” she finishes off. “Look, we’ve got space here, if you’re tired of sitting at the bar. Grab your friends, you can come to our booth.” </p><p>“That sounds great,” Brittany beams. “I’ll just be a minute.” </p><p>Santana places an order with a waiter before heading back to the booth.</p><p>“Who was that?” Mercedes asks. </p><p>“Brittany.” </p><p>“Oooohhh,” Sam teases. “That’s the neighbour,” he says, for Mercedes and Kurt’s benefit. </p><p>“She’s here?”</p><p>“Yeah, she’s with some friends, I invited them to come over,” Santana informs. </p><p>“Are you sure you’re <em> just friends? </em>” Kurt teases her. </p><p>“Well maybe more, if you and I are just friends and I like her more than I like you,” she shoots back. </p><p>Brittany comes over with her two friends. Santana recognizes the woman as Tina, Brittany’s roommate. They’ve crossed paths a couple times in the laundry room and in the courtyard. </p><p>“Hey guys, I hope you don’t mind, Santana invited us to join,” Brittany greets. “Nice to see you again, Sam.” </p><p>“Hey Brittany,” he waves at her. </p><p>Introductions are made and the seven of them squeeze into the booth as another round of drinks arrive. Sam starts talking about work. He was a sports analyst for football games, but had mostly been relegated off the mic after his boss told him that he spent too much time doing impressions while giving commentary.  </p><p>“I don’t get it,” he sulked. “Everyone loves my Connery impression,”</p><p>“Yeah, at the Christmas party, maybe not when giving football commentary,” Kurt offers.</p><p>“It was totally called for.” </p><p>“How?” Santana asked. </p><p>Sam pursed his lips and focussed as he got into his Connery zone. <em> “Allen must have a license to kill, because he just killed any dream the Raiders have of playing in this year’s Super Bowl.”  </em></p><hr/><p>Santana can feel her head pounding against her skull when she pries one eye open, before tugging up the covers to shield herself from the light. She lets out a groan as she tries to remember last night. </p><p>After everyone had taken a turn at the mic, they went dancing at a nearby club.</p><p>Brittany can <em> dance.  </em></p><p>Those last two rounds Sam and Mike paid for at the club were definitely a mistake. </p><p>All she can really hope for right now is that she didn’t cry in front of Brittany last night. It’s not her fault she’s a weepy drunk. </p><p>Santana’s phone buzzes from somewhere on the bed. She pats down the bed, till her hand comes into contact with the device and she turns on the screen to find a bunch of text messages from Mercedes, Kurt and Brittany. She moves the hair out of her face to read them.</p><p>
  <em> [9:45 AM Brittany]: Hey, are you awake? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [9:55 AM Brittany]: Guess you’re still sleeping. Left something on your doorstep. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [9:56 AM Brittany]: It’ll help with your hangover :)  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [10:13 AM Brittany]: I’m driving home today. Tell Charlie not to miss me too much ;)  </em>
</p><p>Santana forces herself to sit up, still in her clothes from last night, she realizes and heads to her front door, where she’s met with a six-pack of instant ramen, with a little note on the plastic. </p><p>
  <em> It’s good for hangovers.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Take care. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Brittany  </em>
</p><p>She can’t help but smile as she takes the food into her apartment and shoots Brittany a text.</p><p>
  <em> [Santana]: Thanks for the noodles! Drive safe!  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [Brittany]: No problem! Hope your head doesn’t hurt too much.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [Santana]: What time are you leaving for San Diego? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [Brittany]: I’m at a pit stop. I’ll be at my parent’s in like 30 mins </em>
</p><p>It’s only then that Santana looks at the time on her phone and realizes it’s already past noon. </p><hr/><p>It’s very much a slow day. Santana takes an aspirin to help with her headache, before boiling water so she can eat instant ramen for the first time since she was in college, if for no other reason than to test Brittany’s hangover cure. </p><p>She hears Charlie meow as he makes his way back in through the kitty door and look up at her. Santana pours some cat food into his bowl, to which he looks down at the contents in disappointment before proceeding to look back up at her as if to say “no really, where’s my lunch?”</p><p>“Sorry, Brittany’s not here. You’ll have to make do with,” she looks at the label on the can. “<em> Raw Instinct Cat Food for Weight Control </em>,” she frowns. “Who the hell chose this name?”</p><p>He meows at her. </p><p>“Brittany’s not here to feed you second lunch, so this is all you’re getting.” </p><p>With his tail in the air, Charlie walks off, out of the kitchen and through his kitty door out of the apartment. </p><p>Santana sighs and shakes her head, “He’s so spoiled.”</p><p>Thirty minutes later, he returns, barely acknowledging Santana and makes his way over to his bowl of food. It seems like everything is fine and he even sits next to her on the couch while the TV plays, as if trying to make peace without saying anything. </p><p>She rubs his head in a silent acceptance. </p><p>It’s only later when she goes to do her laundry that she spots on her doorstep, a present - a bleeding pile of feathers - that Charlie has left her. </p><p>“Gross.” </p><hr/><p>Santana returns from getting her mail, when she witnesses Tina holding a massive white box and struggling to open her front door. </p><p>She offers to hold the box, so Tina can stop fumbling with her keys. The other woman thanks her and manages to open the door, before taking back the box. </p><p>“What’s in it, anyway?” Santana asks. </p><p>“It’s a birthday cake for Brittany.”</p><p>“When’s her birthday?”</p><p>“Today. She went to go spend it with her family.” </p><p>Santana furrows her brow. “She told me it was her dad’s birthday.”</p><p>“They have the same birthday,” Tina replies. “It’s kind of a cute story.” </p><p>“Oh. She never said.” </p><p>“She doesn’t like to, she thinks it’s weird,” Tina shrugged. “Like if you tell people it’s your birthday, it’s like you’re looking for attention. We lived together over a year before I found out.” </p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“We’re gonna have a small thing for her when she gets back,” Tina says. “It’ll just be me and Mike and maybe a couple friends but you should come by if you’re free.” </p><p>“Sure, I’ll be there.” </p><p>She bids Tina goodbye and heads back to her apartment where she texts Brittany. </p><p>
  <em> [Santana]: Happy bday! Hope you’re having fun with your family! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [Brittany]: Thanks, I am! Tina told you? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> [Santana]: yep </em>
</p><p>The next message she gets is a picture of a fat tabby cat wearing a party hat. She surmises that it can only be the infamous Lord Tubbington and though he doesn’t look too pleased, it’s cute all the same and Santana sends back a laughing face emoji. </p><hr/><p>Santana clicks onto the next page of Amazon, having decided that giving Brittany an American Express gift card for her birthday was too weird, somehow managing to be both overstepping and also impersonal. </p><p>But it’s not like she has any better ideas and she wasn’t about to google ‘what to get for your neighbour-who-you-have-a-crush-on’s birthday?’ </p><p>Well...not at work at least. </p><p>She barely notices the footsteps coming towards her office, when she hears Marley’s voice. </p><p>“Miss Berry, she really doesn’t like people coming in without an appointment-”</p><p>“Good afternoon, Santana,” she hears the door swing open and comes face to face with Rachel Berry, holding a clearfile in her hand with a large, shining gold star on it. </p><p>“I tried to stop her,” Marley says apologetically. </p><p>“It’s fine,” Santana addresses her assistant, who moves out of the office “Rachel,” she turns to her client. “What do I owe this...unexpected visit?”</p><p>“Well, I was in the neighbourhood and I thought I would drop by with some of my headshots,” the small woman says, removing a series of 8 by 10 glossies from her folder. </p><p>“Headshots?”</p><p>She nods. “For the press releases. I thought it would be nice to have some of my headshots when the articles talk about the show.” </p><p>“Right,” Santana sighs. “You know you could have sent these in an email, right?”</p><p>“Yes, but I thought it would be better if I could explain some of the options in person,” she presented Santana with the first picture. It was a picture of Rachel against a white backdrop, a wind machine had obviously been involved. </p><p>“Now, this one I think, has a very Hollywood vibe to it, something I would send in if I was going to be cast in an action movie for example,” she then pulled out a second picture. This was in black and white, with Rachel staring into the camera and her fist under her chin. “This one I think is very old Broadway, but a classic, very Barbra. Now this would be a good choice if we’re going to highlight my body of work on Broadway. This one…”</p><p>It took Santana every ounce of strength to bite back every snarky comment on the tip of her tongue because Rachel (in addition to being her boss’ daughter) was the client, after all and clients got what they wanted, even if they were insufferable about it. However, she wasn’t able to hold back rolling her eyes, when Rachel presented a fourth set of headshots (where she looked about 18), with a soapy story attached about how they were the first ones she had taken in New York. </p><p>At some point, Rachel must have noticed that Santana was tuning her out and managed a glimpse at her laptop screen, currently on a page reading “Popular Gifts.”</p><p>“I don’t think that Shelby would appreciate you tending to personal matters at work,” she chastises. </p><p>“For your information, Berry, you’re not the only account I have to service, this is research,” Santana easily shoots back the lie. </p><p>“Oh, well I apologize then,” Rachel replies. “Honestly I think if you were going to give a gift, there is no gift greater than music. The performance of a lifetime, tickets to <em> Rachel! </em>Coming soon!” she waved her arms dramatically. </p><p>“Right,” Santana drawled out. “Listen, why don’t you just leave your headshots here and our copywriter will just get in contact with you about which one to use in the articles.” </p><p>Rachel seemed to find this agreeable. She nodded. “I would like input on the content. Earliest is best, maybe around the first draft?”</p><p>“Sure, we’ll be in touch.” </p><p>Rachel made her long awaited exit from the office and Santana shook her head. “Poor McCarthy,” she muttered to herself. </p><p>Madison McCarthy was the copywriter assigned to this project. She was a good kid and eager to excel, which almost made Santana sorry that she was going to be stuck dealing with Rachel Berry. </p><p>Whatever, at least she knew one thing. There wasn’t any gift she could get Brittany that would be worse than tickets to see <em> Rachel! </em> </p><hr/><p>Santana’s day had been busy, packed with meetings, but it had passed relatively quickly with good progress on all her projects, not to mention a lack of sudden, unscheduled interferences by Rachel Berry. She’d been nursing a headache since lunch and had decided to head home early.</p><p>She crashed onto her couch, closed her eyes and allowed the tiredness to take over her body. </p><p>Santana’s not sure how long it’s been when she wakes up to the sound of gagging. She opens her eyes and sits up on the couch, looking around, when she finds Charlie by the TV, pawing at his face and gagging. </p><p>At first she suspects it’s another hairball, but when he starts rubbing his face against the floor and the noises don’t stop, she looks in alarm, realizing it’s more serious. </p><p>She’s more alarmed when she looks past the coffee table and finds an open white box on the floor with a missing piece of metal. </p><p>It’s not a hairball. He’s choking. </p><p>“Shit!” </p><p>It occurs to her momentarily to google what to do, but she also has no idea how long he’s been like this and by the time she finishes her search it could be too late. Without another word, Santana scoops him up (thankfully, he’s lost enough weight that she can carry him without too much of a strain), grabs her purse and flies out the door. </p><p>She barrels through the courtyard, paying barely any attention to her surroundings when she bumps into another person. </p><p>“Sorry,” she barely mutters, in her haste. </p><p>“Santana?”</p><p>It’s Brittany and she quickly notices the panic in her neighbour’s face, and that her grip is rather tight on the cat. </p><p>“Is everything ok?”</p><p>“He’s...I think he’s choking on something, I-I need to get him to the vet,” she stammers out. </p><p>“I’ll drive you,” Brittany quickly offers and Santana agrees. </p><hr/><p>The two of them sit in the waiting room at the vet’s office. Charlie was inside with the vet. Santana’s head rests in her hands and Brittany gently rubs her back in an effort to comfort her. </p><p>If Santana wasn’t so freaked out about how Charlie was doing, she might be more distracted by how nice it felt. </p><p>“I’m sure he’ll be okay, Santana.”</p><p>“God, I hope so, Britt. I don’t know what I’d do if-” she sniffs and realizes for the first time that she’s started crying. Quickly, Santana wipes the moisture from her eyes with the back of her hand. “I just really hope everything will be alright.” </p><p>Dr Stevens comes out and Santana bolts up. </p><p>“Is he ok?”</p><p>“Charlie’s going to be fine,” the vet says reassuringly. “We gave him something to pass the charm. He’s resting now. You can see him in a little bit and you’ll be able to take him back home tonight.” </p><p>“Thank you!” Santana lets out a huge sigh of relief. </p><p>As the vet leaves, Santana sits back down, now feeling like a tremendous weight has been lifted off her chest, knowing that the furry bastard was going to be fine. </p><p>Brittany pats her hand kindly. “Told you it would be ok,” she smiles. </p><p>“Yeah, you did,” Santana lets out a small smile, though she sniffs and has to wipe her eyes again. She’s not sure if it’s tears of relief or holdovers from tears of worrying. “Thanks for getting us here so fast. I’m sure you ran a couple reds.” </p><p>“Don’t worry about it.” </p><p>Santana lets out a few audible inhales and exhales, finally feeling like she can breathe now that Charlie’s going to be fine. </p><p>A nurse emerges, holding a zip-lock plastic bag with the little metal charm in it and hands it to Santana, before returning to the room.</p><p>“What is that, anyway?” Brittany asks.</p><p>Santana briefly flirts with the idea of lying about it, but after the emotional rollercoaster of the last few hours, she doesn’t have the energy and decides to just come clean. </p><p>“It’s a charm,” she explains. “I….I actually got it for you as a birthday present,” Santana can feel her face getting hot. “I just remembered that sometimes you wear a charm bracelet and...and...Anyway, it was dumb and you definitely don’t want this now after it’s been through the inside of a cat,” she shakes her head and lets out a small disbelieving laugh. </p><p>Brittany manages to get a look at the item in charge of all the eventfulness of the evening and recognizes the shape of the piece of silver. It’s a cat, sleeker than Charlie (or Lord Tubbington for that matter), that’s positioned to look like it’s walking. </p><p>“It’s ok, Santana. It was really thoughtful of you to get me anything, you didn’t have to.” </p><p>Santana shrugs and then nods her head, as she wrings her hands, seemingly not knowing what to do. </p><p>The blonde chews on her lower lip for a few moments, watching Santana carefully, before she says her next words. </p><p>“I know what you can get me for my birthday though.”</p><p>Santana’s forehead creases in confusion. “Yeah? What?”</p><p>“A date.” </p><p>The brunette’s confusion deepens. “What?”</p><p>“Go on a date with me,” Brittany asks softly. </p><p>“Wait, you...you want to go on a date with me?”</p><p>“I do. I’ve liked you for a while,” Brittany admits, with a chuckle “I actually couldn’t shut up about you while I was in San Diego. My family kept teasing me for it.” </p><p>Santana lets out another disbelieving laugh. “Really?” </p><p>“Yeah, my sister especially. She kept telling me to just ‘woman up and ask you out already’ so she could stop hearing about it. “</p><p>That statement makes Santana chuckle and her heart beat faster at the same time. </p><p>“I mean she’s eighteen so she thinks she knows everything,” Brittany shrugs. “Look, I <em> really </em>didn’t plan to ask you here, but… I don’t know. How can I help myself when you’re this sweet?”</p><p>“You’re still the only person who thinks that.”</p><p>“What do you say?”</p><p>“I'd love to,” Santana says with a smile and it makes Brittany grin. </p><p>“Awesome.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's been a weird and unproductive few months, but I'm glad I managed to get this out.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They set a date for the following Friday and Santana finds that she’s too excited to let anything ruin her week. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not Rachel Berry coming into her office (unannounced and with no appointment) three times, not the new intern getting confused with the printer that they end up with twelve extra copies of the same sample and not Kurt and Mercedes teasing her endlessly when they have lunch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you go on more dates with Brittany?” Kurt asked. “It makes you so much nicer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her retort has no real teeth to it and he can tell, but she doesn’t even care. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She does end up telling Quinn about the vet incident, figuring that her friend will find out anyway, the next time she takes her cat to the vet. Santana gets an earful about being careful what she leaves around within Charlie’s reach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She promises to be more careful and while Quinn may or may not believe she’s being genuine, Santana won’t risk anything happening to that cat. Not when she owes him for her date. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It feels like the entire week is just building towards Friday, when she’s changing out of her work clothes and into her date outfit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She texts Brittany, asking her if she wants to meet at the parking lot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde doesn’t reply. However, she rings the bell five minutes later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could’ve met by your car.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany shakes her head. “No way, this is a date, I have to pick you up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It makes Santana melt a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look beautiful,” Brittany compliments. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana smiles. “Thanks. So do you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlie must hear Brittany’s voice because he makes his way over to the front door and looks up at her expectantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany bends down and pets him. “Hi Charlie,” she says. “Don’t worry, I’ll have her home at a reasonable hour.” </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Brittany takes her for Chinese food. The place isn’t too crowded and the service is pretty fast so they’ve barely been able to ask about each others’ days when the food arrives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know in all the chaos of the vet and everything, I didn’t get a chance to properly ask you how your trip was?” Santana asks, taking a bite of noodles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good. My parents are good and my sister’s applying for colleges and stuff. I think Lord Tubbington’s still upset that I haven’t been up to visit in a while. They had a little party for me and my dad, so it was a pretty good birthday all in all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Tina told me you and your dad share the same birthday. The way she said it, sounds like there’s a story.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my God,” Brittany starts, a little embarrassed. “My mom really likes to tell this story, I don’t know why. She told it to Tina the first time they came down to visit me. She was mortified.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well now I have to hear it,” Santana presses, intrigued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany sighs but chuckles. “Fine. The year my mom was pregnant with me, my dad really wanted to go on this trip for his birthday, so they spent the day in this little Amish village. On the way home, my mom thought she had indigestion and she had him pull over and ran into some barn and well…” she watches Santana’s eyes go wide as she continues the story. “Turns out it wasn’t indigestion, it was me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, oh my God,” Santana says, shaking her head. “That’s insane. Tina told me this was a cute story.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah... Anyway, my mom carried me back to the car and you can imagine how surprised my dad was. But he always said that I was the best birthday gift he ever got.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Saved it. That is pretty cute.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess that’s why my mom likes to tell it so much,” she pauses. “I...I really wasn’t supposed to tell you that story on our first date, I’m sorry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s ok,” Santana laughs. “I like getting to know you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany beams at that. “Let me ask you an important question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shoot.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Favorite ice cream flavour?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana laughs. “Rocky road.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Interesting,” Brittany nods.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did I pass or is the date over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh the date’s definitely still on,” Brittany smiles slyly. “Ok,  since you know the story of my birth, are there any embarrassing stories I should know about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, none to do with my birth. But you know,” Santana smiles coyly. “I may or may not have gotten into some mischief when I was a kid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me more.” </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>After dinner, the two of them get back into Brittany’s car where they stop at a convenience store, before driving off to a campsite. Brittany grabs a picnic blanket from her backseat and the paper bag from the convenience store and the two of them head into the grounds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t bring me here to kill me did you?” Santana jokes, observing the forestry that surrounds them as she follows Brittany’s lead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No way, that would be such an awful end to such a good date,” Brittany replies. “We’re almost there though.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They come to a clearing from some of the bushes to find a pretty clear space. It’s quiet as Brittany spreads the picnic blanket and gestures for Santana to sit. She does and Brittany sits next to her, producing a pint of rocky road and two spoons. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought it would be nice if we had desert under the stars,” she explains. “I know there aren’t too many chances to go stargazing in LA, but I thought it would be nice.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Britt,” she smiles. “This </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>really nice,” Santana pops open the lid of the ice cream and the two of them start digging in. The weather is warm and everything feels right as the two of them eat ice cream under the stars. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you see that?” Brittany points her spoon in the direction of a small cluster of stars. “That’s the Mermaid’s Triangle. The legend is that mermaids all live on the mysterious island near the Bermuda Triangle, but you can only see them if they want you to. If you do see them, they’ll offer you a place to live on their island but their standards are kinda high so most people can’t see them and don’t think they exist.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think I’ve heard of that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s because I made it up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana just looks at Brittany who smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, when I was a kid, we would go camping and you could see the stars and constellations at night. You know, like Orion and stuff? I always thought they were cool but all the stories were so sad. Everyone was always getting killed or cursed or separated from their true love, so I decided to make my own stories when I looked up at the stars. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turns back to Santana who’s eyes haven’t left her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s a really cool way to look at the stars.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Santana takes another spoonful of ice cream. “Ok tell me, what else do you see?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ummm, that cluster over there? That’s a cat and he’s looking for his dish of milk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could see that,” Santana nods, pointing to a small trail of stars. “That’s the tail right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Brittany turns to face her. “You’re pretty good at this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana shrugs. “You know, I thought that a nice view of the sky was supposed to be one of the only advantages of growing up in a crappy little town in the middle of nowhere, but I don’t know. I guess I never took the time to look up and enjoy it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you were just waiting for the right person to enjoy it with,” the blonde suggests. Santana meets her gaze, saying nothing and everything for a few moments. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re probably right,” she says finally. “Hand me the ice cream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany grins and obliges. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them stay like that for a while. They trade imaginary stories of what they see in the stars in between real stories of their lives. Santana tells Brittany about that one time in college, where she, Quinn and Mercedes had blended in with a bachelorette party at a club. They’d consumed most of a bottle of champagne, before the bride realized that she didn’t actually know any of them and they were forced to flee. Brittany tells her about her life on tour, how on a whim a bunch of the dancers went and dyed their hair a funny color. Brittany, herself had gone with purple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You went purple?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm hmm,” Brittany nods. “It stuck for a couple months, before I dyed it back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I guess I’m just used to seeing you like this, it’s hard to imagine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, maybe I’ll show you a picture sometime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like...maybe on our second date?” Santana suggests. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany smiles softly and nods. “It’s a deal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana looks at her date, the way her features are illuminated by the moonlight, the way her bright blue eyes twinkle and she moves closer, reducing the gap between them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look beautiful in this light. Actually, in any light,” she corrects herself. “You’re always beautiful.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany moves closer, further reducing the gap between them, till their faces are just inches apart. “So are you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana closes the gap completely, connecting her lips with Brittany’s. She feels a tingle run up her spine and her heart beat faster. It’s soft and gentle and when Brittany’s tongue runs along the bottom of her lip, Santana grants her access, as her hand finds its way to Brittany’s waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they finally pull away, Santana can’t hide the smile on her face as Brittany glances down, before looking up at her with the same smile, but with a sort of slyness in her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I was gonna wait till I walked you to your door to kiss you goodnight,” she explains. “But I kinda like this better.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana laughs. “Me too,” before she goes in for another kiss, which Brittany is more than happy to reciprocate. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The thing about their second date is that it takes a while to happen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana gets it in her head that she wants to take Brittany to this amazing sushi restaurant, the best in LA. She went once for a client meeting and the toro salmon is to die for. The view of the ocean’s no joke either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s too bad that the place is always fully booked. She has Marley call them twice a day, but there’s never an opening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When a last minute cancellation finally occurs, Brittany has an audition out of town and they can’t go. The next time, Santana has back-to-back meetings and impossible deadlines she needs to adhere to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, it’s just schedules constantly misaligning and before they know it, it’s been a month. It’s not like they don’t see each other. They still hang out and play with Charlie and schedules permitting, they grab coffee together some mornings. It’s just that Santana hasn’t had the opportunity to take Brittany out on a proper date. There’s always a client call or an audition or Caltech research to be done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s Saturday evening when she finds herself trying to put together the last elements of Rachel Berry’s promo materials (now their third attempt, because Rachel has opinions about </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>) and Charlie climbs onto her desk and starts pawing at her laptop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tries to shoo him away at first, but he’s persistent and actually manages to get his paws on her keyboard, as if to prove a point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana stares at him for a minute and he stares back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what? You’re right.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She texts Brittany if she’s free for dinner and when the blonde replies in the affirmative, Santana changes into some jeans and heads over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rings the bell and waits patiently, as she hears footsteps approach the door and Brittany emerge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she greets Santana with a kiss on the cheek. “Where are we eating?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you feel about burgers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Great, I know a place. It’s not far, I thought we could walk since it’s nice out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany smiles and nods, before taking Santana’s hand. “Lead the way.” </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>They walk through the park to get to the restaurant, which is sandwiched between an alleyway and a laundromat. It’s nothing impressive from the outside, but Brittany doesn’t seem to have any hesitation, following Santana in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The inside is actually pretty cool, it’s set up like an old diner, with a couple of arcade machines from the 90s plugged in by the back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They order burgers and milkshakes and agree to split an order of fries as Brittany looks around the establishment. There aren’t too many patrons and the sounds of the arcade machines ring to life as a couple of kids give Street Fighter II a shot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This place is awesome, how have I never heard of it?” Brittany says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s kind of a neighborhood secret. I don’t think they’re on Yelp or anything,” Santana replies. “I kinda like it that way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their food doesn’t take long to come out of the kitchen. Brittany takes one bite of her burger and her face lights up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, this is amazing!” she gushes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana grins and tucks into her own food. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you find this place?” Brittany asks, taking a sip of her strawberry milkshake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By chance. My car broke down once, a couple of blocks from here. My phone ran out of juice so I was walking up and down trying to find a mechanic or a gas station or something,” she explains. “And it was hot, like boiling hot and I was exhausted and hungry. This was the first place I found I could eat in and borrow their phone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The car insurance guys told me it was gonna be at least an hour before they could send someone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why was it the worst day ever?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana pauses. “I was still in college and broke and trying to make decisions about what I wanted to do with my life. Then my parents told me they were getting divorced. Then my car completely shit itself and my phone battery died.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. That does sound like a bad day.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I ordered a burger and a milkshake and fell in love with the place. Kinda made me forget about everything else that was going on. Even just for a little while, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She notices Brittany looking at her in a way she can’t quite place. It makes her feel uneasy, so she looks down at her food and takes a bite out of her burger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So did you move into your apartment just for the proximity to this place?” Brittany joked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well there are other advantages to living in my apartment. Gorgeous dancers who live only a few doors down for example,” she replied smoothly and she could see Brittany grinning down at her milkshake at the remark. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You must say that to all the girls,” Brittany teases, taking some fries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, just you. Actually, you’re the only person I’ve taken here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Brittany asks softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana nods. “Like, I said, I kind of like that it’s a secret place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany reaches over the table and holds her hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for sharing it with me,” she says with full sincerity. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Santana pays for dinner and the two of them decide to take a stroll through the park, since it’s still light out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is really nice,” Brittany comments, her hand in Santana’s. “I was a little worried we were never gonna have a second date.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words make Santana freeze in her tracks. Brittany must notice the deer-in-headlights look she has, because she chuckles and rubs her thumb against Santana’s knuckles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was this not a date?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...um…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Santana, you picked me up at my door, we went to dinner, you paid and now we’re holding hands, walking through the park. Isn’t that a date?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The realization of it makes her feel like an idiot and Santana lets out a groan of embarrassment before a stifled laugh comes out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess I just had it in my head that I was gonna wine and dine you, you know? Take you to a nice restaurant with a view and music and....”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And...</span>
  <em>
    <span>woo</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, I guess,” the brunette feels her face start to get hot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Santana, you don’t have to woo me, I have been sufficiently wooed by you already, I promise,” Brittany says. “Even if it wasn’t on purpose. And if you want to take me to some fancy restaurant where we get all dressed up, then that would be a lot of fun. But tonight? This was a lot of fun too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them stand there for a while, when they feel drops of water start to land on them and decide they should head back home. It doesn’t take long for them to start to hear rumblings in the sky and the rain start to fall harder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Crap! You don’t have an umbrella, do you?” Santana asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope,” Brittany shakes her head as they speed up in an attempt to beat the rain home. It only starts to pour harder and Brittany grabs Santana’s hand. “C’mon!” she says, as they make a dash back to the apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It must be climate change or some otherworldly force at work because in LA, the rain manages to soak them both, by the time they get to the complex. Despite Brittany’s longer limbs, Santana manages to pull ahead of her slightly in an attempt to find some shelter by Brittany’s door, when she hears the blonde’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Wait, wait wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana turns around in time to feel Brittany pull her into a kiss. It’s deep and passionate and Santana can instantly feel herself getting lost in it and not caring that the rain has soaked her to the bone. She places her hand on Brittany’s cheek and deepens the kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they pull apart, she meets Brittany’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve always wanted to have a kiss in the rain,” Brittany explains. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? Was it everything you ever hoped for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And so much more.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to come in?” Brittany asked. “Tina’s visiting her grandparents, she won’t be back till Monday.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would we do if I came in?” Santana prods, though she’s pretty sure she knows the answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Brittany drawls. “We could get out of these wet clothes...and then we could see what else happens.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they get inside the apartment, their lips crash together again and Brittany presses Santana up against the wall, as they both struggle to remove their wet clothes. Brittany manages to peel off her own shirt, the material sticking to her skin as she peels off the fabric and tosses it onto the floor, before helping Santana with hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana grabs Brittany’s hand and yanks her towards the bedroom. She pushes the blonde onto the bed and presses her lips against her neck to begin an attack.She feels Brittany’s hot breath against her shoulder and hears her let out a moan as the blonde’s hands fumble slightly, trying to unbutton her jeans. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana’s jeans wind up on the floor, followed by Brittany’s and the rest of their clothes. She runs her hand down Brittany’s stomach and explores her abs, before in one smooth motion, Brittany flips them over so she’s on top, pressing their lips together again as she lets her hand trail up from Santana’s thigh and in between her legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana lets out a gasp and she can swear she can see a smirk on Brittany’s face with what happens next. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>The sunlight coming into her bedroom wakes Brittany up. The memory of the previous night makes her smile. Being with Santana felt different. When they were together, it felt like pieces of a puzzle finally slipping into place. Her heart beat faster when they kissed, but it slowed and relaxed in contentment when she held Santana’s hand. It didn’t make sense, except it did. It made perfect sense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Disappointment fills her, when she reaches over to the other side of the bed, which she finds to be empty. She frowns in confusion when she hears footsteps and the rustling of paper bags coming from the apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany sits up in bed, when she hears footsteps approach her bedroom and Santana pops her head through the doorway. She’s wearing sweatpants and a hoodie that’s obviously too big for her and her hair is still rumpled from the previous night’s activities. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning,” she greets, taking a seat on the edge of the bed producing a cup of coffee from </span>
  <em>
    <span>Joe’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>and handing it to Brittany. “I got you something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany’s confusion and disappointment from just moments ago instantly evaporates and she grins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the sweetest. C’mere.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cups Santana’s face and kisses her. It makes her feel all warm inside and she starts deepening the kiss. Brittany pulls Santana closer by the collar of her hoodie, when she feels the familiar material against her fingers. She pulls back from the kiss with a grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re wearing my clothes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well all my clothes are sort of in wet piles on the floor, so…” she trailed off and they both laughed. “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to make you breakfast, but all I found in your pantry were like sixteen cans of tomato soup, so I went to go buy something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should keep them, you look hot in my clothes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana laughs and Brittany moves her coffee cup to the bedside table, before pulling her closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, I think you would look hotter out of them,” she says in sultry whisper, her hand finding its way onto Santana’s waist, just running her thumb under the waistband and along the brunette’s bare hipbone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about breakfast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I have something else I’d much rather eat.” </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>A few hours later they finally get out of bed to have breakfast. The coffee is cold, but they’re both in too good of a mood to care in all honestly. Brittany ducked out to go throw their wet clothes in the dryer of the laundry room. When she returns she can’t help but laugh at the fact there are five paper bags containing different pastries on her table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you get so many?” she asks with a chuckle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, sometimes when we grab coffee you get a bagel and sometimes you get a muffin or a croissant or a bear claw. I didn’t know what you would be in the mood for.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brittany places a peck on Santana’s lips and boops her nose. “The sweetest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pffft, I’m a badass,” she fronts. “When are you gonna stop calling me that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you stop being so sweet,” she answers easily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They share breakfast, enjoying how easy and relaxed everything feels. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have plans today?” Brittany asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got some work I need to finish, but that shouldn’t take too long,” Santana replies. “And I should probably head home and feed the cat before he ransacks the apartment searching for his food.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Brittany laughs. “Wouldn’t want that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want...to come say hello to him?” Santana switches course at the last minute. “He misses you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” the blonde says with a smile. She observes Santana, the way she’s biting her lower lip and the fact that she’s wringing her hands under the table. “Is that all? It looks like there’s something you want to say.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be my girlfriend?” Santana blurts out.  “I just um...I know it probably seems fast, but I really like being with you and...everything feels good when we’re together and I don’t just mean the sex,” she chuckles nervously. “Even though that’s awesome. I just…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, come here,” Brittany says, extending her arms as Santana moves towards her and Brittany pulls her down onto her lap, wrapping her arms around Santana’s neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to be your girlfriend. You’re right. I know it’s kinda fast but I also know that it feels good...it feels right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Santana kisses her and Brittany’s pretty sure she wants to spend every morning like this. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feedback is appreciated if you can :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The alarm wakes Santana up, causing her to groan. She rolls over to turn it off, before rolling back to her original position, snug under the covers. She closes her eyes for a minute, enjoying the last moments of quiet and peace, before opening her eyes. </p><p>She is met with a furry face and yellow eyes staring back at her.</p><p>“Gah!” she jolts up startled. </p><p>The cat meows and looks away from her, but does not move from his position, as if too dignified to respond to her shock. </p><p>“Britt?” she calls out. </p><p>“Kitchen!” Santana hears her girlfriend’s voice.</p><p>Santana gets out of bed and notices the bedroom door is left ajar as she moves the cat off her bed, placing him on the floor before she goes to find Brittany.</p><p>She’s pouring coffee and looks like she’s been up for a while. </p><p>“Hey,” Santana greets her with a kiss. </p><p>“G’morning,” Brittany smiles into the kiss. </p><p>“You know, I was expecting to see your pretty face when I woke up, instead I came face to face with that furry bastard.” </p><p>Brittany giggles. “Sorry, I woke up early.”</p><p>“Don’t be sorry. You should’ve woken me up.”</p><p>She shakes her head and plays with Santana’s hand. “Just nerves before my audition.” She <em>was</em> nervous. Brittany was going in for a choreographer role for a dance movie, elevating the stakes was the fact that the studio apparently had plans to do two sequels if it performed. “No sense in waking you up. Besides, you get grumpy when you don’t get enough sleep.” </p><p>Santana’s about to open her mouth to protest, except she realizes that Brittany’s right. </p><p>“Well..I could’ve helped take your mind off it,” she teases and lets her fingers trail up under the back of Brittanys shirt. </p><p>Brittany hums. “That would’ve been nice. But then we’d probably pass out after and I’d miss the audition.” </p><p>“Fair enough,” Santana laughs.</p><p>“Speaking of which, I’ve got to go get ready and get my stuff, but I made you coffee and eggs, there’s bread in the toaster cause I know you’ve got that meeting with Rachel and you’ll get hangry if you don’t eat before it. Oh and I put food in Charlie’s bowl.”</p><p>“You’re the best,” Santana smiles lovingly, pulling her in for another kiss. Brittany leans in and it almost makes her feel light headed. </p><p>“Good luck, I know you’ll kill it.” </p><p>“Kill what?” Brittany asks, almost in a daze. </p><p>Santana giggles. “The audition, Britt.” </p><p>“Oh right, I better go then.” </p><p>Brittany heads out the door and Santana watches, certainly looking like the smitten kitten that she is as her girlfriend gives her a last wave before closing the door. She’s only broken out of it when she hears a meow. She looks over to find Charlie, seated in front of his now empty bowl and looking at her expectantly. </p><p>“No, no more second breakfast!” she chastises him. </p><hr/><p>She’s relieved when Rachel gives her final approval on the promo materials and signs off. She even gives Santana two tickets to the opening night of Rachel! as thanks. Santana manages to smile and bite her tongue about all the things she’d rather do than go see this trainwreck of a show, long enough for Rachel to leave. </p><p>She calls Kurt later that evening and offers him the tickets. She tells him to take Blaine if he wants to punish him. </p><p>Kurt laughs and accepts anyway, shrugging and saying it could be kind of fun to watch a one-woman trainwreck. Especially if it was free.</p><p>It’s a week later when she gets off work a little early. Santana goes to meet Brittany and Mike’s dance studio. She passes some of the rooms, some with kids, others adults and heads to one of the smaller rooms by the back corner. </p><p>She doesn’t say anything and just takes time to observe her girlfriend dancing behind soundproof glass. It still amazes her sometimes, watching Brittany dance. Her movements able to say everything she needs to without opening her mouth. </p><p>Santana’s so caught up in it, that she doesn’t notice a familiar face until he taps her on the shoulder. </p><p>“She’s good, huh?” Mike says with a smile. </p><p>“She’s incredible,” is all Santana can say. </p><p>They make small talk for a little while, before Santana notices Brittany’s finished when she’s on her phone hitting stop on the music. Mike grins when he notices Santana’s reaction and tells her he needs to go check up on something and bids her goodbye. </p><p>“Hey you,” Brittany greets with a fond smile, when she sees Santana open the door into the room. </p><p>“Hi,” Santana pulls her into a kiss, which Brittany is more than happy to return. “You’re amazing,” she says once they pull away. </p><p>Brittany blushes and looks away, bashfully. </p><p>“You are,” Santana reminds her. </p><p>“Is that why I haven’t heard back yet?” Brittany’s smile turns a little sad. </p><p>“They’re just going through the motions so they can see that you are the best candidate for the job.” </p><p>Brittany obviously appreciates the sentiment, but looks a little doubtful still. </p><p>“Let’s go out for dinner,” Santana says. “Then we’ll go...see a movie or something, take your mind off this.”</p><p>“Ok.”</p><p>“Ok?” </p><p>“Yeah,” Brittany nods, her smile becoming less sad, when she’s reminded once again of how much of a total sweetheart her girlfriend is. “Come here,” she whispers, pulling Santana back in for another kiss. </p><p>Santana wraps her arms around Britany’s neck, while the blonde lets her hands rest on her girlfriend’s waist. </p><p>“So how was your day?” Brittany asks, their faces still close together, sharing looks like a couple of lovestruck idiots. </p><p>“It was good. Better now.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>They’re interrupted by a knock on the open door and Mike clearing his throat. </p><p>“Hate to break this up ladies, but there’s an advanced jazz class here in ten minutes.” </p><hr/><p>They go for dinner and a horror movie. </p><p>It’s a terrible idea really. Sam’s terrible idea, that had come up when they had lunch the day before. </p><p>“If you wanna distract Brittany from the dance stuff, go do something that’s totally the opposite.” </p><p>Santana figured that “totally the opposite” was demons dragging people down to the basement of a house that a blind person could see was haunted. Now, Santana doesn’t like scary movies, but she’s certainly not afraid of CGI monsters and a set in Burbank that had probably been demolished already. </p><p>At least that’s what she tells herself.</p><p>Except there are enough instances where she finds herself squeezing Brittany’s hand or burying her head in her girlfriend’s shoulder, that say that she’s definitely scared. </p><p>“Are you scared?” Brittany whispers. </p><p>“No,” she lies. </p><p>Brittany does the same things too, sometimes at jump scares or when the the son character of the family that was stupid enough to move into the godforsaken house screeches as demons drag him down to the basement (or hell, whichever. The movie is not clear on that). </p><p>Still, Brittany might be one of those people who actually likes getting scared. And she’s definitely not thinking about her audition. </p><p>They hold hands on the walk from the parking lot back to the courtyard. It’s quite obvious that they were both terrified of the movie and it makes Santana feel a little bad. </p><p>“I’m sorry about the movie,” she says and explains Sam’s awful idea. “I just wanted to take your mind off the audition for a little while.” </p><p>Brittany chuckles. “Well it worked, now all I’m thinking about is basement demons.” </p><p>“Yeah…” she trails off. </p><p>“It’s ok, don’t worry about it,” Brittany shakes her head. “I mean..your plan did work and horror movies mean automatic cuddling so…” she shrugs. “I gotta ask...you don’t like horror movies do you?”</p><p>“No,” Santana admits. “There’s enough scary shit in the real world I don’t need to see those demon-goblin-things coming up from under the floorboards.” </p><p>“Well, I definitely wasn’t thinking about my audition so mission accomplished I guess.”</p><p>They stand there for a moment, fingers still intertwined. </p><p>“You know...I don’t really wanna sleep alone tonight,” Santana teases with a glint in her eye. </p><p>“It’s ok, the demon-goblins will be there.” </p><p>“Britt!” </p><p>Brittany laughs. “I’m just kidding. C’mon,” she tugs their hands in the direction of Santana’s apartment. “I’ll protect you.” </p><hr/><p>Brittany wakes up feeling warm and at ease. Every muscle in her body feels relaxed as light peeps in through the curtain and no gobblin-demons appear in sight. </p><p>Santana’s all cuddled up against her front, still fast asleep as Brittany blinks the sleep out of her eyes a few times. <br/>She untangles herself from Santana when her phone vibrates on the bedside table and she picks it up. </p><p>“Hello?” </p><p>“Hi, is this Brittany Pierce?”</p><p>“Yes, speaking.”</p><p>“Brittany, I’m Holly Holiday from <em>Stage Left</em>. I’m calling about your audition.”</p><p>“Right, yes,” Brittany stiffens. </p><p>“Now, while we were very impressed with what you showed us and what you can bring to the production, I should let you know we had a lot of really qualified candidates for the role…”</p><p>“Right, I understand,” Brittany says, deflating with every word. </p><p>“...But we felt that you were the best for our production.” </p><p>“I’m sorry?”</p><p>“We’d like to offer you the job. Production starts in March so we’d like to get all the paperwork and stuff out of the way ASAP. Do you accept?”</p><p>“Yes! Oh my God, yes! I accept!”</p><p>She hears Holly chuckle over the phone. </p><p>“Great! We’ll email you the paperwork, it’s all quite straightforward and I’ll see you soon.” </p><p>When Brittany ends the call, her elation at the news is palpable and it makes her feel like she’s about to burst. This is it. This has been the gig she’s been waiting for. </p><p>She lets out a loud squeal. </p><p>Santana jolts up from her slumber and flips over from her stomach to see what’s happening. </p><p>“What? Britt, is everything ok?” </p><p>Brittany’s nods quickly, still in a bit of disbelief. </p><p>“I got the job.” </p><p>Santana’s face immediately softens from alarm to happiness. </p><p>“Oh Britt, that’s amazing!”</p><p>Brittany can’t help herself and practically sprints back onto the bed, jumping onto it and bouncing up and down. </p><p>“I got the job! I got the job!” she squeals. </p><p>Santana grins and tugs Brittany’s t-shirt by the front to pull her in for a kiss. Brittany’s happily kisses her back, cupping Santana’s face.</p><hr/><p>“I feel ridiculous,” Santana says, holding Charlie’s new leash. </p><p>Brittany shrugs. “You’re the one who wanted him to lose that pound before Quinn comes back.”</p><p>“Because otherwise she won’t shut up about it!” Santana counters. </p><p>Quinn had called her a few days ago and said that the company was sending her back to LA in two weeks. She’s also made it clear that she wanted her cat back in the same state she’d left him with Santana in. </p><p>“Do people even walk cats?” Santana asks, tugging the leash so Charlie wouldn’t slip through a large gap in a fence. </p><p>“Some do. Lord Tubbington never went for a walk, though,” Brittany admits. “One time I tried but then he wouldn’t walk and just made himself dead weight and I had to drag him through the park. I almost pulled my shoulder.” </p><p>“C’mon lazy,” she says when Charlie decides he wants to sit again. </p><p>Brittany laughs. “Admit it, you’re going to miss him.” </p><p>“Am not,” Santana says quickly. “I think you mean you. You’re going to miss him.”</p><p>“Well duh, of course I will, but you’ll totally miss him too. I can tell. You’re all prickly about it but he’s like your furry adopted son.” </p><p>“You think I’m gonna miss vacuuming cat hair off all my furniture? Or that big blue monstrosity in my living room? Or trying to figure out diet cat food?”</p><p>“I think you’re going to miss all of that,” Brittany says with a cheeky grin.</p><p>Santana scoffs at the very notion. </p><p>“The cat brought me you and you’re my girlfriend now so I don’t need him to find me another one.” </p><hr/><p>After Quinn comes back to LA, it’s two days before she tells Santana that she’ll pick up her cat. She packs up his stuff, his toys and his monstrosity of a scratching post and his bed. Not to mention the additional accessories she’s bought in the time he’s been in her care. </p><p>She wonders what the hell she’s gonna do with the cat door now.</p><p>For his part, Charlie doesn’t seem particularly phased about the whole thing.</p><p>Santana sits on the couch, next to him and clears her throat. </p><p>“So...I guess this is it. You’ll be going home to your mom,” she feels slightly ridiculous but keeps going. “It’s for the best cause you probably miss her and stuff. Or do you? Your loyalties seem to pretty much be to whoever feeds you the most so…” she trails off, tapping her fingers against the arm of the couch. “Anyway, you can go back to scratching up Quinn’s furniture and coughing up hairballs all over her apartment.” </p><p>He looks up at her and meows. And call her crazy, it feels like the first sincere meow she’s heard since Quinn dropped him off months ago. </p><p>“It hasn’t been all bad though, I guess,” she moves to pet his head and scratch behind his ear. “Thank you for bringing me Britt,” Santana says in a near whisper. </p><p>He meows again as if to say “you’re welcome.”</p><p>Quinn picks him up with little fanfare. Santana gives her old friend a hug and they promise to catch up soon, but Quinn is still jet lagged and tired and needs to get her cat settled in back to his old home life. </p><p>When Quinn leaves, she sits alone in her apartment, realizing that it somehow feels emptier without the presence of the furry bastard and all his stuff lying around. </p><p>“I do not want a cat,” Santana says out loud to remind herself. </p><hr/><p>
  <strong>EPILOGUE </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER </strong>
</p><p>“So Sam wants everyone to get drinks tomorrow, you coming?” Santana asks.</p><p>
  <em>“Oh no I can’t do tomorrow, I’m seeing a movie with Adam. Besides the rehearsal dinner’s on Saturday right? So I’ll see all you guys then.”</em>
</p><p>“Seeing a movie?” Santana quirked her brow. </p><p>
  <em>“Yeah...why?”</em>
</p><p>“Cause that’s all the two of you seem to be doing lately. Kurt, don’t you find it a little weird that you’ve been dating this guy for a couple of months and you haven’t done any more than...than go to the movies?”</p><p><em>“No, you know what Santana, I don’t think it’s weird,”</em> she hears him getting defensive. <em>“I am looking for a relationship, not a fling. Besides, how long did you know Brittany before you guys started...you know?”</em></p><p>“Umm,” Santana ponders as Brittany comes back in through the front door with a small black and white kitten in her arms. “Baby, how many dates did we go on before we had sex?”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know,” Brittany replies as she places the kitten down on the floor. “Uh..two?”</p><p><em>“Did she just say two?”</em> Kurt asks from his end. </p><p>“Uh, it-it wasn’t two exactly, we were already hanging out a lot..and…” she grins as Brittany greets her with a kiss on the cheek and takes a seat next to her on the couch. “And frankly, Kurt if you want something you have to just go for it, ok?” </p><p>
  <em>“Ok, well regardless, we’re just taking things slow. I don’t need to jump headfirst into a situation where things are just on and off forever. Anyway, I’ll see you on Saturday.” </em>
</p><p>“Alright, we’ll see you then.” </p><p>“Bye Kurt!” Brittany says into the phone. </p><p><em>“Bye Britt,”</em> he chuckles before hanging up. </p><p>“So how did it go?” Santana asks. </p><p>“It was good,” Brittany says, picking up the kitten off the floor since she was still too small to make the jump by herself and stroking the kitten’s fur in her lap. “The vet said Oreo’s all healed and normal. We’re raising a very healthy kitty.” </p><p>“That’s good,” Santana says as she reaches over and pets Oreo’s head. </p><p>Oreo was a kitten they adopted a few months ago. Brittany had moved in after a year of dating, though it had always felt sooner since they lived so close to each other, she was over all the time. They decided to adopt a cat and fell in love when they saw Oreo at the shelter. She’d been found on injured and on the street, living mostly in dumpsters and the shelter had nursed her back to health. By the time they’d adopted her she was nearing recovery and the vet appointment had just proved she was fully recovered and healthy. </p><p>Santana knows Brittany is looking at her in that way. The way that makes her melt and makes her heart get all fluttery. </p><p>“What?” she asks, softly, looking up from Oreo, who affectionately rubs her head against Santana's hand. </p><p>“Nothing, I just like seeing you like this. I always knew you were secretly a cat person.” </p><p>Santana laughs. “Oreo’s just an exception. And mostly just cause I love you.” </p><p>“Sure she is.” Brittany places a kiss on the side of her head. “I love you too.” </p><hr/><p>Sam and Mercedes’ wedding is beautiful. It’s not a massive affair, with Mercedes’ growing fame in the last year and a half, the couple didn’t want a huge press spectacle and kept the number of guests limited to mostly family and friends and only a handful of Mercedes’ celebrity contacts that she’d grown closer with. </p><p>At the reception Sam and his groomsmen, Kurt, his brother Stevie and his best friend from work Finn do a small dance number for Mercedes. None of them are particularly well-coordinated and it’s totally dorky and embarrassing, but charming in it’s own way and Santana can tell by Mercedes’ laugh how happy her friend is to have married the dorky, big lipped, love of her life. </p><p>“Come on,” Brittany offers her hand to take Santana out onto the dance floor. “We’ll do better than the groomsmen,” she jokes. </p><p>Santana laughs and gladly accepts and Brittany spins her. </p><p>“Sam asked me to help them with the dance,” she tells Santana. </p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yeah, he wanted it to be a surprise...looked better when I did it, though. But he told me none of them could dance so this was the best I could do for them.”</p><p>They dance through the evening, through the fast songs and the slow ones. By the end of the night, Santana is still in Brittany’s arms when a slow song plays. Brittany’s looking at her in that way again. She knows because she feels fluttery when she catches those blue eyes. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>“You always say that,” Santana says playfully. </p><p>Brittany chuckles and pauses for a moment. “I just love you. And...I’m really happy.” </p><p>“Me too,” Santana says. She looks over Brittany’s shoulder to see that Sam and Mercedes are leaving for their honeymoon. “C’mon, let’s go home.” </p><p>Brittany nods in agreement. </p><p>“Awesome.” she says and Santana catches a smirk on her face and a glint in her eye. She raises her brow, as if asking her girlfriend to elaborate and Brittany says “I’m gonna go home with the hottest bridesmaid at the wedding.”</p><hr/><p>Brittany proposes on a Friday. She does it on the bench in the courtyard of their apartment complex where they first met. </p><p>Santana accepts, unable to stop nodding, long enough to say yes and Brittany pulls her into a big kiss, before slipping the ring onto her finger. </p><p>Neither of them can stop grinning when Santana pulls her new fiancee into her arms and tells her “I love you.”</p><p>Their friends are all thrilled for them. </p><p>When Santana asks Quinn if she wants to have lunch with her and Brittany, she knows what’s coming. </p><p>Quinn knows that Santana is going to ask her to be her maid of honor at the wedding. She figured she might have to battle Mercedes for it and as much as she loves Mercedes - they both do - Santana and Quinn had been best friends for years, there was history there. And granted, that history had involved some slapping, but they’d grown since then. She was the obvious choice. </p><p>She can’t help feel just a little smug about it when she arrives at the restaurant. </p><p>Santana is doing that thing she does, dancing around a question she obviously wants to ask, but also not ask. Brittany nudges her gently and whispers in her ear. </p><p>This is it. Here it comes. </p><p>Quinn’s mouth is left agape when Santana asks her if Charlie can be the ring bearer at the wedding.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know it's been a while, but here you are, it is a little short. Originally there was supposed to be the final chapter + an epilogue chapter but in the end I just decided to combine them. Honestly, I feel like I ran out of steam for this story, partially due to minimal planning and just drifted away from the original premise which itself changed from the very original concept I came up with 4-5 years ago. </p><p>I did want to wrap it up with a happy ending and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging and leave it unfinished for God knows how long. I did have fun writing it though and I hope you have enjoyed reading. </p><p>I do have plans to write more fic, it's just a matter of getting the words out of my head and onto the document, so stay tuned for that. There are things I wish I had done better with this fic, but at the end of the day I kind of just wanted something fluffy and fun and happy and I hope that's what you got out of it. At least for now, I bid farewell to this cat-sitting universe and it's on to the next one. </p><p>Leave a review if you feel like it :) Thank you for going on this little journey with me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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